Cicada Killers

What do cicada killers look like?

Cicada killers are a very large species of wasp, growing to between 2/3 and 3 inches in length. Their heads and segmented bodies are reddish brown in color. Cicada killers have large, transparent, heavily veined wings that are brownish in color. The good way to describe cicada killers is that they look like yellow jackets on steroids.

Are cicada killers dangerous?

Despite their name cicada killers are not considered to be a super dangerous species of stinging insect. Male cicada killers are very territorial and will aggressively defend themselves, luckily though they are all bark and no bite- they don’t have a stinger.

Female cicada killers do have a stinger, but they are not aggressive and rarely sting unless they are being directly threatened or handled. It is also important to note that female cicada killers dig underground burrows to lay her eggs in and sometimes these tunnels can cause property damage.

Why do I have a cicada killer problem?

Cicada killers are solitary insects, they do not nest above the ground; the female digs about 12 inches into the ground creating a burrow that has individual cells where she lays her eggs. Cicada killers are attracted to properties that have sandy areas, window boxes, sparse lawns, and soil that is found along the edges of sidewalks, concrete slabs, and foundations- all places that they like to create their burrows in. Female cicada killers hunt cicada and other insects to bring back to her burrow and feed her developing young.

How do I get rid of cicada killer wasps?

There is no way to prevent cicada killer wasps from creating ugly mounds in your lawn or other landscape elements. Once they've arrived however, Arrow Pest Control can help! We'll treat the holes these pests have established in order to eliminate them.

If cicada killers have decided to infest your New Jersey property, contact the dedicated pest professionals at Arrow Pest Control today to learn more about our cicada killer treatments!

How do I make my property less attractive to cicada killers?

Preventing your property from becoming home to cicada killers is difficult. Making sure that your lawn is well taken care of is the best way to prevent problems with cicada killers on your property; cicada killers actually prefer to create their nests in unhealthy, sparse lawns, rather than healthy green lawns.