Critter Alley

Critter Alley

Monday, August 10, 2009

My Creepy Quandry



This image from Chuck Holliday's website gives a hint of size.

Over the weekend I discovered the most enormous wasps I've ever seen in our yard. I'm typically not bee/wasp-skittish, but these critters made me run away faster than a jackrabbit from a hound dog.

Could they be some new super-duper species?

I made it to the computer for a quick look and found their picture. Apparently I have wasps with a purpose. Their name says it all...Cicada Killers. Holy smokes! The name alone sounded pretty intimidating, but according to what I read, they don't bother humans unless you tamper with their nest. And that nest just happens to be burrowed into the ground.

Apparently these huge guys live only to sting and kill a cicada, then carry it back home for their larvae to feed upon. And it seems they only live for a couple of months, so the question is...

Do I try and get rid of them, or wait it out?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yikes! Those are big boys!

The Word Place said...

VERY big boys!