Cicada Killer

General Description
Up to 1½ inches long, this is the largest wasp in the Midwest. Cicada killers are mostly black with yellow markings on the abdomen. This solitary species nests in small burrows. The female searches trees for a cicada, stings it and tucks the paralyzed cicada under her body. The wasp either drags the cicada to its burrow, or launches itself from a tree and glides back to the burrow. Inside, it lays an egg on the cicada, then covers the burrow with soil. The stingless male guards the nest. Larvae consume the paralyzed cicada and emerge as adult wasps the following spring.

General Control
See general control of bees and wasps at the beginning of this section.