Cicada Killer Wasp Extermination Richmond VA

If you see a massive wasp flying across your yard in late July or August, it is almost certainly a Cicada Killer. While they look like something out of a horror movie, they are actually solitary wasps that mind their own business.

• Size: They are truly huge. An adult Cicada Killer can grow up to 2 inches long.

• Appearance: They have a black abdomen with jagged yellow bands, reddish-brown wings, and reddish legs. Because of their size and coloring, people often mistake them for hornets, but their behavior is completely different.

• They Patrol: Males are very territorial and will hover right in your face if you walk near their area. Good news is the males cannot sting. They are just putting on a show to keep other males away.

These wasps are only active for a few weeks a year, usually in the late summer when the cicadas start buzzing in the trees. Their entire life revolves around hunting them.

• The Hunt: The female wasp finds a cicada, paralyze it with her sting, and then carries it back to her burrow. Watching these wasps carry a cicada which can be heavier than she is, through the air is an amazing sight.

• The Burrow: They dig holes into the ground, usually in dry, sandy soil. In Richmond VA, you'll see these holes between patio pavers, in garden beds, or along the cracks where retaining walls meet the city sidewalks.

• The Dirt Mound: You can identify a nest by the U-shaped mound of dirt pushed out of the hole. It looks like a small volcano.

Unlike yellowjackets or hornets, Cicada Killers are solitary. They don't have a queen or a colony to protect, so they have no reason to attack you. A female will only sting if you physically grab her or step on her with bare feet. Otherwise, they are perfectly happy to share the yard with you.

The only reason someone might consider them a pest is because of the dirt they kick up. If you have dozens of them nesting in a pristine garden bed or under a patio, the mounds of dirt can be an eyesore. However, because they are so beneficial at controlling the cicada population, I usually recommend just leaving them alone. They will be gone on their own in a matter of weeks.

When a customer calls me about these giant wasps, my first move is usually to let them know they arent in danger and  talk them out of a service. At the end of the day, I’m a neighbor first and a pest control guy second. I’d rather protect Richmond’s ecosystem whenever I can.

Cicada Killers are not dangerous. They don't have a nest-protecting pack mentality like hornets or yellow jackets. They are here for a few weeks to do a job, controlling the cicada population and then they disappear for the rest of the year. Because they pose almost zero threat of stinging you or your family, I usually recommend just letting them be.

If you absolutely insist on getting rid of them—perhaps because they are ruining the look of your patio or garden—I can handle it, but I want you to give you a heads up.

Treating these wasps can often be a waste of your money and heres why. Since they are solitary, I have to treat each individual burrow. If the wasp is out hunting a cicada when I apply the treatment, she won’t be affected. She might just come back, see her hole is blocked, and dig a brand-new one three feet away. You’ve paid for a service, and the problem just moved to a different spot in the yard in the same day.

If the situation really calls for it, here is how I do it:

• Direct Dusting: I use a bulb duster to apply a professional insecticide dust directly into the burrow opening. The goal is to cover the entrance so the wasp doesnt re-enter.

In most cases, I’d much rather see you save your money for a problem that is real issue, like keeping ants or roaches out of your kitchen. But if you need them gone, I have the tools and the know how to do it.