Giant Wasps would let me finish my yard work!

[HarveyH48]

I was just finishing up in the backyard, and was going to open the gate to the alley, when this huge wasp started flying around me, circling. I backed away, and into the house to get a camera. Saw one of these last year, hauling off a cicada. Got back out there, and it was still patrolling the walkway to the back-gate. What for a while, but it wouldn't stop, just kept going back and forth along the walkway, about 10 feet worth.

A second one came, not real sure if they were fighting, mating, or what, but the second one would land on a bush for a while, then go mess with the first one, come back and land about the same spot. Got plenty of pictures, and some video of this one. Setup a second camera on the first one patrolling, and got some video of that as well. Turns out, there are three of these, about 1.5 inches in length, one has got to be pretty close to two inches, definitely bigger than the other two.

They are pretty cool looking, but don't need them setting up a nest. My Lab is on anything that flies, even if they bite. Don't think I want to get poked by one of these either. Raining this evening, so don't think I'll be hitting the allies with the metal detector tonight, but I need my gate back.

http://metaldetectingforum.com/album.php?albumid=2011
Link to 9 pictures in my gallery. Not sure how that works yet, just started learning about it.

[Nitelord]

Cool. I used to see them around here. Mostly when the cicada's hatch. Actually had one stuck in the grill on the Pacifica, a couple of months back. I guess my wife picked it up while she and the kids were at the campground.

Nice pix.

[HarveyH48]

The giant wasps are definitely staying, back all day again today. The larger one, I'm calling 'Big Mama' spent more time in the yard today. Haven't been able to get pictures or video of 'her' (not sure about gender), doesn't stay still for long, and has a real nasty attitude. She'll chase me a good ways, if I get too close. The other two just take off, but land right back where they were before. Big Mama attacks everything that gets close, even leaves falling out of the oak trees. She went after a squirrel, and a couple of lizards, which seem interested in a snack. Got a hunch they would probably die if stung. Would be a cool video, so going to keep trying, might get lucky.

Really need to find the nest, as interesting as my new pets are, I'm going to have to get rid of these things. I want my gate back, and I'm pretty sure the dog has introduced himself (hasn't gone out in the backyard since Saturday, and he usually follows me out, when I working in the yard.

[SJA]

That's what they are, Cicada killer Wasps.

:-)

[stewart73]

Originally Posted by SJA

That's what they are, Cicada killer Wasps.

:-)

Heheh...beat me to it. Nasty little devils!

[hssea]

Yellow jackets--I get them all the time at my house. They love to build nests under my eves, once we found a nest the size of a football (and they can get a lot bigger than that). Be careful two of my kids have been stung by them--they can be aggressive.

[Bonesquat]

Don't you mean they 'WOULDN'T' let you do your yard work?

[Crumble]

They are building a nest somewhere around your house.. you should watch where they fly to after digging in the dirt. I have those in my backyard every year and they constantly try to build their mud nests on the underside of the roof overhang. They will buzz/attack you if you are near their nest, but anywhere else they ignore you. I'm guessing their nest is near that back gate of yours. 90% of the time they are on the underside of the roof overhang, or high on the wall of your house.

I keep a can of wasp spray that sprays a 20ft stream of poison to kill their nests.

I had a nest last year that had probably 30 wasps and 100 eggs waiting to hatch... glad I got them before they hatched...

[HarveyH48]

Originally Posted by Aka Nameless

They are building a nest somewhere around your house.. you should watch where they fly to after digging in the dirt. I have those in my backyard every year and they constantly try to build their mud nests on the underside of the roof overhang. They will buzz/attack you if you are near their nest, but anywhere else they ignore you. I'm guessing their nest is near that back gate of yours. 90% of the time they are on the underside of the roof overhang, or high on the wall of your house.

I keep a can of wasp spray that sprays a 20ft stream of poison to kill their nests.

I had a nest last year that had probably 30 wasps and 100 eggs waiting to hatch... glad I got them before they hatched...

I get those mud wasps too, these are different, almost twice their size. From the web, these Cicada Killers don't build nests, they dig burrows to lay eggs, and just leave them to hatch and feed on the Cicada mom leaves for them. Didn't find any mention of where the adults spend the night. My guess is they like my yard, because it's relatively quiet, and I have Cicadas.

The mud wasps control the spider population. I usually knock down the nests, and leave them on the ground. The mother gets the point after a while, and finds another neighbor to build on. The paper wasps get sprayed though, they are mean, and it's never just one, and keep multiplying.

Didn't see any more Cicada killers yesterday, might be done until next year. Least I know I've got a weapon. Really don't want to get stung by one of these, pretty sure they go deep.