HORNETS and CICADAS?

[KONASDAD]

I am sure you all have experienced this phenomenon. Because I keep Honeybees, I am now "beemeister" to everyone who knows I keep bees. Any question about any kind of bee etc. SOOOOO, my neighbor came over to buy honey and ask the following question. She has an area of her yard where there are lots of hornets hanging around. She says she sees them catch cicadas and bury them in her yard. She says they are so numerous the lawn gut wont mow that area of yard. Her questions are... Should she be conscerned for her safety or lawn guy? Can she get rid of them w/o killing? If killing needed, how to go about it since she doesn't want to hurt my bees, her dogs(one is worth 150K believe it or not)(to who, I dont know) and animals in general. Suggestions?

[Robo]

If it is a nest,  the easiest is to bee-vac them and either freeze them or suck up some corn starch into the vac with them.

Otherwise, spray them with soap water.

[Mici]

Cicadas are dangerous? i assume not, the hornets are the pest, right?

put a few traps, the number should go down fast as they are...rather dumb.
but if there are really that many, she oughta look in her garageor some other utility building. they like to nest there so...chanches are, she'll find the nest, then she can spray it-kill it.

[KONASDAD]

They seem to be congregating in one area, but the nest I think is elswhere. They seem to be burying cicadas for future stores. My opinion, they are probably harmless as they are preoccupied. She is nervous type, and I want to be helpful as she knows I have hives. Good relations and all. There are a lot of them I must confess. I went out there and looked and could easily see about fifty hornets "patrolling" the area and made one kill and burial. This was in about 5-8 minutes.

[Mici]

50 :shock:
plus the behaviour seems odd?!?!?!
are you sure they're burrying them, that they're not dragging them into their nest (underneath)
i've seen hornets gather by an oak tree, but they were only gathering wood or food, i'm not sure, i think they were picking up insects (the oak was damadged so lot's of insects were around the "injurie".

just place traps to get the number down.
half empty/full bottle of beer seems to do the trick.

[KONASDAD]

They seem to be burying them randomly throughout an area of the yard. I saw one force the cicada into a hole. I cant be sure if it was a "burrow" opening or not as I was little leary of getting closer than I was already. The holes are numerous and they appear to have been made before today or at leasst not while the hornet had possession of the cicada. I will try to get pics tomorrow morning asd they are far more numerous in AM.

[FordGuy]

that borders crazy, just short of loony.  they are cicada killers.  That's what they do.  google cicada killer.  if her dog is a cicada, then she has problems.  if not, then tell her to be more worried about the black widows that live under her house!

[MrILoveTheAnts]

I agree with the Cicada Killers. I knew a friend in Marlton who had these all over his yard. They can sting but are usually harmless. He and his sister used to bat them with tennis rackets all the time.

[Scadsobees]

I second that...google it....

We don't have any in the yard, but my 8 year old son caught one for his collection... Very impressive wasps!!  I can easily understand why people are afraid of them. 

They are not social but build their burrows in groups which is the neighbor's yard.  I'm sure that there are ways to get rid of them if they are a problem.  They can make a mess.  They aren't supposed to be particularly aggressive, and their stinger is meant to paralyze cicadas, not hurt people.

Rick

[KONASDAD]

Thanx. Did google and thats what she has. Pretty interesting stuff. Its been so hot, the cicadas sound like a train wreck this year. There must be loads around. I find their casings often, never saw the wasp before this year.thanx again.

[BeeHopper]

Where does your neighbor live ?  I'll mow her lawn  :evil:

BTW, the Cicada Killer is a large hornet looking insect with a stinger about 3/16 of an inch when deployed, it is quite intimidating though  :shock:

Two days ago my puppy was pawing one to death before I intervened, captured it and destroyed it with starter fluid to study it.
Almost looks like the European Hornet except it is darker in color and narrower.

[reinbeau]

Cicada killers are large and scary, but they aren't aggressive to humans.  I weed around them all the time, now that I realize they aren't really anxious to kill me.  :lol:  I understand their sting is horrendous, however, so I can certainly understand avoiding them.  They're only around for a week or so, then they're gone.  I wouldn't do much to get rid of them.  They seem to like nesting in dry, sandy areas in full sun.

[Michael Bush]

Cicada killers live in the ground and they are taking the cicadas there to feed their young.  I've had them in my yard most places I've lived.  I've never been stung, but I have been buzzed when they wanted me to go away.  People tell me they can sting.  I'm sure they can, but they don't seem overly aggressive like yellow jackets.