To say “It’s that time of year again” is not a term of endearment. NOT when it comes to dealing with cicada killer wasps. The rain has stopped, the ground is dry, and these critters are zipping around everywhere. After last year, we are a bit wiser about what to do. We found a large mound (ground nest)a couple of days ago and so extended our flowerbed and added rubber mulch. They don’t seem to burrow in it. I still do not go out “unarmed”. AND I am watching the pups to be certain we have no nose stings this year. The following is my experience from last year. It’s pretty funny ~ if it’s not happening to you! 😉
My 2013 Collection
Killer Wasp Prisoner
I have felt like a prisoner in my own home for a couple of weeks now. My green grass is fading for lack of water. There are sprigs of Bermuda grass popping up in my flower beds. Some of the flowers are dying. You are thinking drought, right? The real reason? I am a big chicken. We have become infested with cicada killer wasps. And each time I go outside, here they come. I never go out now without a can of hornet spray. Last week I mowed the yard with the can tucked under my arm. Several times I took off running, screaming, my arms flailing, while attempting to spray the varmint. For any neighbors looking on, it has to be a hoot. I Wonder If I Am On You-Tube?
cicada killer wasp mounds
Last summer, our little Sugar dog stuck her nose in one of the mounds that housed the cicada killers. It got her. Poor baby. (That was a vet visit.)
I have done my research on how to rid them from our yard. (How to Get Rid of Ground Digger Wasps) The first article said to leave them alone. They will only stay around a month or so. The spray simply slows them down so you can squish them. But I don’t squish things. They say only the females can sting, but that the males are aggressive. When I am dashing across the yard, I can assure you I am not a bit curious about the gender of the predator. My neighbor a couple of houses down, joins me in the seriousness of the matter. His new weapon of choice? A racquet ball racquet. Yep. He is a brave man. And he had quite a good little collection of critters on his front sidewalk!
Yesterday, the evil of all evils occurred. While I was attempting to let the pups back inside, guess who came in instead? HORRORS! My heart was racing. I had to think fast. He-She was buzzing at my head. SOOOOOO…..I turned loose of the screen door while slamming the backdoor shut at the same time. The creature was now trapped between the two doors. My poor little dogs were gazing at me through the back window. I had to get them inside without opening those doors. I found their leashes and headed around the house through the gate, leashed the girls and brought them in the house. Then I started worrying about my trapped friend. Could he wiggle inside through a crevice? (hubby says they could not) I grabbed my blue masking tape and taped off all seams of the door. I also sent hubby a “HELP” text.
Hubby arrived a little while later. He went through the backyard, opened the backdoor and sprayed the little critter. I watched, holding my backup can of Real Kill. I am braver when I have a sidekick. but not much! Then we came inside and hubby removed all the blue tape from the backdoor.
Hubby was my hero, again. He commended me for acting quickly and thinking on my feet. 
He says if we ever have atomic warfare, he will feel safe with me in charge. Cause I am the queen of taping off crevices and seams. 😉
This is my life. For another month? I am going to hire someone to mow. For one month. Oh bother ~
Hope YOU have a good day. Free of critters!
stuff i tell my sister 
Love the blue taped off door. Love this whole thing — but do not in any way love wasps — and I’ve never even heard of Cicada wasps! they sound lethal. Good luck!
I thought they were hornets…..but was corrected by the “bug” guy. I still call them hornets….as they are huge and could possibly carry me away to their home. 😉 I search the yard each day now for new mounds. This is the “bad” of summertime. I’m with you….not a fan of flying critters at all!
wasp or hornet or big fat old flying freaks….I’m with you! Ewww and I remember your part one from last year. Loved it then, and love it now (the story NOT the critters). 🙂
haha….the joys of summer!
This is hilarious! I love the line, “When I am dashing across the yard, I can assure you I am not a bit curious about the gender of the predator.” What a hoot. Who ever thinks about that stuff when you are running away from a stinging anything! I love the blue tape as well. I think you get the creativity award. 🙂
I do tend to get a bit carried away when I’m at home by myself! I recall a swarm of bees that covered the side of our house when I was a kid….those truly did get inside and we would step on them. See why I’m a big ole chicken! haha
Ouch! My brother is allergic to them. We stayed away from them as much as possible. 🙂 I had to laugh, though as I was picturing you going through your anti-bee antics! 🙂
Wow….if a person is allergic that would REALLY be horrible! This will be a very long month, I’m afraid!
You could come here – we have thick dust to breathe! 🙂
choices, choices…..
Does not sound a very pleasant situation… the wasps seem dangerous… we have a product here called “Coopex” sure you could get it there… it’s a powder that you mix with water with varying degrees of strength and you spray the walls where these wasp might sit … it has a residual effect and kills all the flies etc that come in contact with it… I don’t know but it might work with wasps as well…
Thanks for the tip, Bulldog. One has already greeted me this morning. 😉
You’re so funny 🙂
But I’m sure killer wasps are not!
😉
One of the downsides of summer I suppose. 😦
You could always head to the beach 🙂
Now there’s a thought!!
Rather you than me. 😯
😉
Each place seems to have its own special horror species. We have the ten-striped beetles. They don’t sting, but they fly everywhere and threaten to land on anyone walking outside from dusk ’til dawn. So what’s the big deal? They’re big (2 1/2 to 3 inches) and they have rough grabby hooks on their legs so they’re hard to get off. What if one landed on my back or my neck or in my hair? Eeeeeee! Sorry about your wasps. They sound really awful.
Oh my gracious…..Your beetles sound similar to june bugs….but yours are BIGGER. Yikes…I’d be running from those as well!!! (bad dreams…..I will now have bad bug dreams 😉 )
Back east we had yellow jackets (hornets) that kept me in doors! All I have to worry about here are wasps in the fall who seem to be drunk on fermented fruit and become little happy dare devils!
I used to be afraid of wasps ~ dirt daubers ~ yellow jackets. Now they look like ants! 😉 At least we don’t have flying monkeys yet!!
ahhhhh!!! I’d blue tape ALL the doors and windows!
lol!!! I need to buy some more tape!
This is a serious situation. However, when I got to the blue tape photo I was giggling out loud. Continue to be pro-active with these little critters!
LoL!!! I went into extreme mode!!!
This is just NOT ok. The blue tape on the door made me laugh as much this year as last though. See, this is but one of the reasons why you are cool in my book…finding the funny among the ‘rest’ of it! Go get ’em PSB!
haha…..trying….and making mad dashes to the mailbox!
Yikes! What an experience!!!!
😉
I sincerely hope they don’t cross the state line. I’d hate to break our record of being more or less bug and rodent free. I did see a monarch butterfly in one of my gardens this evening. The temperature is much too warm so he must have gotten separated from the pack. We’re dry so sent DH for yet another bird bath.
Well if you don’t have any cicadas (locust) to hunt….you should be good. It was interesting last year watching them take the cicada down (sting it, numb it, attempt to carry it to their “home” to feed to the queen). BUT, not interesting enough to want this happening in our yard!!!
Bless you for getting another bird bath! No wonder that monarch is hanging around. 😉 It likes you, too!
I don’t remember these buggers when I lived in OK… not to say they weren’t there… but I pay no attention to bugs LOL I’m usually okay with them… I’ll swat them or kill them if I have to, otherwise I’ll just leave them alone. I tend to believe that if I’m outside, if I don’t bother them, they won’t bother me. I know it’s naive, but I’ve survived so far LOL
My dad always told me the same thing growing up….regardless….I ran, screamed, and hid behind anyone standing nearby!! We had these when we lived in Tuttle many years ago….they nested underneath our deck. They tend to love the hot and dry weather. If I swatted and hit these I would surely break an arm! 😉 #I’mabigfatchicken
LOL at the hashtag… 🙂
😉
I have regular wasps and their nests all over my covered porch. They come back year after year and as long as they leave me alone, I leave them alone. If they sent me out into the yard flailing my arms like you and risking the neighbors’ guffaws, they would have to go. Now, about this neighbor with the racquet. Is he just knocking them unconscious so he can squish ’em?
What timing on your comment. I just hurried the pups in as there are about 8 or more of my “friends” hovering the back porch and hitting the window this morning. Ugh. My neighbor sends the little guys on into their next world. May call him and invite him down as he would get a lot of batting action right now!
So, instead of being a racquet pro, he’s a Ground Digger Wasp Pro. When you invite him down, have your camera ready altho I don’t think any photo could beat that taped up door! 🙂 You are some kinda hoot, girl.
I have a fear of throwing my camera on the fun! But I will try!!! 😉
Awesome – my pup Velcro eats them as soon as they hatch so I have to tape my doors closed 🙂
Oh No!
Oops – so I DON”T have to tape my doors closed. Imadork.
Well I Do….but I’M the dork….not you!!! 😉
LOL
Been fighting some critters here but not stingers like that. Seems everything wants to come inside for the summer. I have cans of spray inside and out–may be slowly killing ourselves in the process!