‘Killer wasps’ to emerge from Kentucky soil this summer

KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — Move over, cicadas; there’s a new pest in town, and it’s a cold-blooded killer.

The giant Sphecius speciosus, commonly known as the cicada killer wasp, packs a paralyzing sting, according to the University of Kentucky.

The insects are distinctly large. According to the University of Kentucky, the female killer wasps can reach nearly two inches long.

“Cicada killers frighten many people that encounter them. They are large and imposing and the males do invade personal space,” Jonathan Larson, extension entomologist, wrote. “Cicada killer wasps are often confused for the Asian giant hornet, more famously known as the ‘murder hornet.'”

Although often curious, they typically aren’t bothered by humans unless directly handled. You may be all too familiar with their main target: the cicada. Like cicadas, the killer wasps also live underground and emerge each summer, typically around July or August.

They’re known as cicada killers for a reason. The wasps prey on the annually emerging insect with their paralyzing sting before dragging them back to their burrow to join their larvae in eating the cicada alive, from the inside out.

“The cicada killer wasp is amazing, not only for being able to detect and paralyze its prey, but also because of its ability to fly carrying a cicada that is proportionally equal to or heavier than the wasp itself. This is an amazing aeronautical feat,” Timothy J. Gibb, Extension Entomologist at Purdue University, wrote. “After stuffing the cicada into a small nursery cell, the wasp lays an egg, then seals off the chamber. The egg hatches in 2-3 days, then the larva burrows into the cicada carcass and begins the slow process of devouring the immobilized but still-living cicada from the inside out.”

The larvae overwinter in the burrows, emerging the following summer as adults, and typically die off by September, per the extension office.

Larson called managing the cicada killers “unnecessary,” as they typically don’t harm humans, but if your lawn is overwhelmed, entomologists recommend making your space unfavorable in wasp terms.

“First, physically destroying wasps with a swatter or tennis rackets can help to cut down on individuals and discourage populations. While it sounds comical to try and kill bugs with a tennis racket, it has long been a standby for cicada killer reduction,” Larson wrote.

Otherwise, their dens can be dusted with insecticide, or keep your space mulched and shady.