A very common worry for home owners here in Nebraska are the extremely large wasps that like to fly around and burry themselves into the ground. These large wasps are called Cicada Killers. Cicada Killers cause a lot of anxiety to homeowners, especially those with kids and animals since they are large and intimidating. However intimidating they may look, they actually are harmless!
Cicada killers are approximately two inches in length and like most wasps, are dark black or brown, with bright yellow markings on several segments of their abdomen. They have wings that are shaded brown, and their legs can vary in color from a pale red to a vibrant orange. Only female Cicada Killers have stingers, and as a whole they are not aggressive. Cicada Killers are not dangerous to your, your family, nor your pets. They are generally helpful wasps as they kill Cicadas as their food source (as their name implies). Although they look very intimidating and dangerous, they are harmless and they mainly live out their days flying around, digging holes for their underground nests, and killing Cicadas.
Cicada Killers are known for the mounds they create in lawns, flower beds, and around properties. They dig down into the earth to create their nests where they will take the cicadas they kill and the eggs they lay. When the eggs hatch, the larvae will eat the dead cicada that was left behind. In the fall, the larva will spin a silken case that it will hibernate in throughout the winter. The next summer, the fully developed Cicada Killers will emerge from the underground nests. There is only one generation each year. While these wasps look very intimidating, they are harmless to you and your family. They will sometimes tear up your lawn with their nests, so if you’re having Cicada Killer problems, reach out to us, and we can help! To learn more, call us at (402)22-RECON
