This article provides some instructions on how to delete burrowing wasps (otherwise known as cicada-killer) from your lawn.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: General Information
Step 1. Learn to recognize burrowing wasps
They are very large (a little more than a hornet), passive-aggressive and build their nests in dry, non-fertilized soils. They are usually black with yellow stripes on the back. Once grown, they measure approximately 4.5cm in length (even more), and 3 in wingspan.
Step 2. Recognize the signs
You will know that you have a burrowing wasp nest in your garden or vegetable garden when you see a set of mounds of granular matter 4 to 10 cm high. At the base of each will be a hole the size of a finger, with a line of dirt coming out.
Nests are sometimes built along the lawn, but are usually placed in drier areas and / or under weeds or flowers. Wasps don't prefer it, but they can live in moist soil
Step 3. Find out their life cycle
For example, in the northeastern United States it lasts about a month from mid-July to the second half of August (depending on the area it can start earlier or later). Wasps go from the stage where they are young buzzing and playing together, to the adult stage in about two to three weeks.
Step 4. It is important to know that they only sting if you attack
Although they look very threatening, they attack and sting only if they feel really threatened. You should basically dig into their nest as they fly around you for they will attack to sting you (so avoid doing this). Otherwise, they tend to fly around to keep you in check and scare you - and they'll probably really scare you the first time you meet them. Remember that they prefer to keep killing cicadas around trees rather than sting you.
Part 2 of 3: How to Get Rid of It
Step 1. Understand that the method explained here is basically killing the wasps inside the nest and there is no safer way to get rid of them
They are likely to recur from time to time, but only once or twice from year to year. The trick is to kill them all while they are inside the nest so that the babies don't return to the same place they were born from.
Step 2. Get the materials you need
To eliminate a burrowing wasp infestation, you can also buy the following items at the supermarket: a) a nice bag of WHITE plastic knives, b) up to 16 liters of lemon ammonia.
Step 3. During the day, when the robes are chasing cicadas in the trees, mark each nest you discover by inserting a plastic knife as close to the hole as possible (without disturbing it anyway)
Leave the knife protruding far enough to be able to see it.
Step 4. After 10.30pm or 11pm (preferably later) that same evening, using a flashlight, look for the knives you planted and pour two or three cups of ammonia into each hole
At that time the wasps are inside and sleeping, so you will be able to decimate them. You can stretch ammonia with water in a one-to-one ratio. Diluting it anyway will kill the wasps - Not remove the knives.
Step 5. The next day, repeat the process on any new nest you find on the ground
You will recognize them from the old ones because they don't have knives near. Once you've identified the new nests, remove the knives. Depending on how many wasps there were originally, you may have to repeat the whole process again. Or you could hit the wasps with a tennis racket by stepping on them once they are on the ground.
Part 3 of 3: Leave them alone
Step 1. Try this method if you want nature to take its course
First of all, think that it is simply the way to keep the cicadas population in check. Second, you can still observe the work of these interesting insects in your garden; the way they care for their "family", just like any other living creature in nature. The way to bear their presence is really simple:
- Don't disturb them. Avoid touching them, walking on them and attacking them.
- Ignore her for a couple of months. Leave them alone, let them go hunting cicadas for their children. In a couple of months they will go away.
- Don't walk around barefoot at night. Just be careful; no garden is free from possible dangers: quills, stings and unpleasant things. Consequently, it's best to wear something that protects you and just be careful.
Advice
- You will likely continue to find nests every year. However, if you repeat the operations just explained, the chances of having more nests will be greatly reduced.
- Share this procedure with your neighbor as well, as chances are he has digger wasps in his garden too and doesn't know how to get rid of them. If your neighbors don't take action as well, you'll find yourself dealing with the infestation in no time at all.
- If you have animals, DO NOT let them dig near the nests. It is also important not to use toxic POWDER treatments such as diazinone or the like. Dogs and cats do not know that it is lethal to them.
- The more cicadas there are, the more wasps will arrive. So if you do experience a cicadas infestation every seven years, there's a very good chance that this will extend to VESPEs as well, unless you (and your neighbors) do something.
- If you see a burrowing wasp with a cicada under its belly, take the ammonia and pour it into the nest access hole as soon as you see it enter - birds usually attack the wasp in flight when it is carrying the cicada.
Warnings
- Use a dim light flashlight when treating nests in the evening. Even at night, wasps are attracted to bright light.
- DO NOT try to step on them, wasps are VERY fast when young / adult. As they age they tend to slow down, but they can still sting if they feel threatened.
- DO NOT shake or scare a digger wasp. They can attack and sting you if the nest is threatened. However, remember that males have no sting and females only strike when provoked. Wikipedia reports that the female sting is relatively "weak". So it's important to follow the steps above when you don't see any buzzing around - wait for them to be in the trees (during the day) or in the nest (at night).
