These gentle giants have an intimidating name and look scary, but they do not pose a real threat to humans. Cicada Killer Wasps, a type of digger wasp, becomes prevalent in August and September in Florida. These wasps feed on cicadas, hence their dangerous sounding name.
Females make their nests in the ground by digging a burrow or hole in the soil. Usually they prefer well drained soils in full sunlight, near trees that have cicadas. They like to dig along sidewalk edges, in flower beds, gardens, or lawns, where they burrow their nests. In these burrows, they place the paralyzed cicadas that they catch which will be the food for their grub-like larvae.
While these Cicada Killer wasps are large and may look scary, they are so focused on their tasks of burrowing and catching cicadas, they do not bother with humans. Males do not have a stinger. Female Cicada Wasps rarely sting humans, only when a nest is disturbed, will a female possibly inject a mild sting. These wasps are solitary and are not known to be aggressive to humans.
If you have an issue with these wasps disturbing your soil or posing a threat, please call us for a free evaluation. Click here or call us at 352-223-3618 to schedule your appointment.
