Nuisance of the Week -8/5/02 - Cicada Killer Wasp

Cicada Killer Wasps

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These large (1-1/3- to 1-5/8-inches long) wasps can be seen flying slowly above the surface of the ground. Cicada killers have a black body marked with yellow across the thorax and abdomen. The wings are reddish orange. Although these wasps are huge, they usually ignore people. Males may act aggressively if they feel threatened, but are unable to sting. Females are able to sting but are so non-aggressive that they rarely do. Even if they do sting, the pain is much less than that of smaller wasps such as the yellow jacket or paper wasp. The cicada killer sting is on par with that of a sweat bee.

The cicada killer is a solitary wasp rather than a social wasp like the yellow jacket. The female nests in burrows in the ground. These burrows are about the size of a quarter in diameter and can go 6 inches straight down and another 6 inches horizontally. Adults normally live 60 to 75 days from mid July to mid September and feed on flower nectar and sap exudates.

The adult female seeks cicadas on the trunks and lower limbs of trees. She then stings her prey, flips it over, straddles it and carries it to her burrow. If she has a tree to climb, she will fly with it. If not, she will drag it. She will lay one egg per cicada and then stuff them into her burrow. Each burrow normally has three to four cells with one to two cicadas each. However, it is possible for one burrow to have 10 to 20 cells. Eggs hatch in 2 to 3 days and larvae begin to feed on the paralyzed cicadas. Feeding continues for 4 to 10 days until only the outer shell of the cicada remains. The larva overwinters inside a silken case it has spun. Pupation occurs in the spring. There is one generation per year.

Cicada killers are not dangerous and we normally do not recommend control. However, they can be a nuisance. If you believe control is necessary, treat the burrows after dark to ensure the female wasps are in their nests. The males normally roost on plants near the burrow sites. They can be captured with an insect net or knocked out of the air with a tennis racket during the day. Carbaryl (Sevin) or diazinon may be used for control.

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Nuisance of the Week is brought to you in cooperation with the Kansas State University Research & Extension
Written by Ward Upham, Extension Associate