They’re back! The warmer weather brought out the cicadas, which in themselves are a pretty neat insect to look for and study. However, their arch nemesis, the cicada killers, are also back and coming back in droves. From some preliminary studies through the U of M and other places, bees and other related insects are having a good year. I know that at our farm and in my garden, we have had the largest number of bumblebees in some time. It has also been a good year for wasps including ground wasps.

Cicada killer’s Latin name is Sphecius speciosus. You will find them anywhere they can locate their food source, which is generally cicadas but they are known to take other insects. You will find them nesting in yards, gardens, parks and other areas. You will certainly know that they are present in your yard and they can be intimidating due to their large size. The wasps are large, 1 to 1- 1/2 inches long, with a black and reddish brown thorax, amber colored wings, reddish brown legs, and a black abdomen with yellow bands. They prefer well-drained, light soil exposed to full sun. A cicada killer is a solitary wasp, so you will only find one wasp per burrow. You will, however, find large areas of the wasps in one central area. These wasps sting and paralyze cicadas and place them in the burrows that they have dug in the soil for their larvae or grubs. They will place up to three cicadas in the burrow for their young. The females are not territorial and once they have “fed” their larvae, they will leave the area. We find that for the most part, cicada killers are annoying more than anything. They can be controlled through pesticide use and can also be controlled by covering the area that they visit. Pesticide use must be done by placing the liquid or granular chemical near or down each burrow. Generally broadcasting the chemical has shown that it does not work well for control purposes. You can use plastic to cover smaller areas if needed but for larger areas, they cost may be too much.

There is a look-alike insect, which needs to be taken into consideration which is ground nesting bees. These bees do not have a hive like other bees do such as honey bees but are ground-nesting and can be found in dry, sunny areas of yards or pastures. These bees are very important for pollinating native plants. These can be discouraged quite simply by watering the area that you find them if they are too close to your home or in your garden where you are working. They do not like the wet conditions and will simply move away.

And lastly, it is time to watch for scavenging bees and wasps as we move into the fall months. They will be looking for a last meal and like to find any fruit or vegetables that may be damaged or you might find them after that can of pop that you sat down on the picnic table. It is a good thing to double check any water glasses, food or cans that you may have left outside for insects before eating or drinking. Better to be safe than sorry!

For more information on gardening, you can reach me at s.dejaeghere@me.com or the Lyon County Master Gardeners at 507- 532-8219. Are you interested in becoming a master gardener? Please contact myself or any Lyon County Master Gardener for more information.