What kind of wasp is this? - Ask Extension
These wasps are digging in the yard/garden. What is it? Do I have to worry about them stinging my kids? It's less than an inch long. Thanks.
Knowledgebase
What kind of wasp is this? #661296
Asked July 08, 2020, 7:48 AM EDT
These wasps are digging in the yard/garden. What is it? Do I have to worry about them stinging my kids? It's less than an inch long. Thanks.
Douglas County Minnesota
Expert Response
Digger wasps of several genus/species resemble the one in your photo so we can't identify it. This one is very similar: https://bugguide.net/node/view/31606
According to experts at the University of Minnesota, digger wasps "are non-aggressive solitary, ground-nesting wasps that capture other insects, haul their prey back
to their burrows and place them in nest cells as food for their young. The adults themselves feed
on flower nectar."
By the way, a kind of digger wasp is under study to track and estimate the presence and number of emerald ash borer beetles.
