Control of cicada killer wasps - Ask Extension
Cicada killer wasps have exploded in numbers this summer. I need some kind of method to eliminate them (or at least reduce their numbers). HELP!!
Knowledgebase
Control of cicada killer wasps #805280
Asked August 08, 2022, 4:08 PM EDT
Cicada killer wasps have exploded in numbers this summer. I need some kind of method to eliminate them (or at least reduce their numbers). HELP!!
Ingham County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello Joan,
Cultural practices can prevent or eliminate the establishment of cicada killer colonies. Adequate lime and fertilizer applications accompanied by frequent watering to promote a thick growth of turf and can usually eliminate a cicada killer infestation in one or two seasons. For those not willing to tolerate the wasps, treating the nest openings with Sevin (spray or dust) will eliminate the wasps. Be sure to read and follow all instructions and safety precautions found on the label before using any pesticide.
Best regards,
Howard
Thank you for the info on controlling cicada killer wasps. I have been battling them for a few years and this year they have been overwhelming. I believe they more than quadrupled in number this year and I am struggling to keep up.
My yard does have sections of crappy soil which the wasps like. Because of soil analysis, last year I had 3 treatments of lime and potassium, and this year had 3 more treatments of lime. I have had yard service doing weed and feed applications for many years so the yard should be well fertilized. I am perplexed as to why sections, especially the sunny areas, have deteriorated so badly. I am the only one in the neighborhood with this wasp problem. Neighbors all around me are unaffected.
Over the past years I have hired exterminators (their powder application seemed ineffective), I tried pouring ammonia, boric acid dust, pyrethrum dust, cyfluthrin, etc. in frustrating attempts to control.
With your email, the last few weeks I have been mixing a super concentrated Sevin liquid in a sprayer and sticking the wand way down the tunnel spraying like crazy. I then spoon Sevin powder in the tunnel as far as I can get it (about a quarter cup) before closing off and scattering the entrance mound. Sometimes a female crawls out during the process and I drown her in more spray, chop off head, and dump in soapy bucket. Occasionally, a female lands nearby with a cicada and I likewise drown her and dump in soapy bucket. Attached is a picture of a portion of my infected yard showing dozens and dozens dirt mounds for wasp tunnels. Also is a picture of last night's bucket with about 48 more wasp bodies for burial.
I have buried about 5 or 6 buckets of wasps bodies so far (way over 200) and gone through four 10-pound bags of Sevin granules, and still have a huge area to conquer. This September, I am having a 50 x 50 ft area covered with 18 yards of top soil and grass seed. This is the worst area. I will water faithfully to get this grass to grow and will continue to water this area next summer to try to get some good grass growing in this area.
I want to make sure that I can kill next year's crop of wasps so all this work and expense is not in vain. One source said Bifen LP granules will kill larvae and keep from returning next year. Do you concur? I could get some from Amazon and spread over this area to water in while treating the grass seed. The last 2 days I have been adding a 7.9% Bifenthrin to the sprayer solution as I work on more tunnels to hopefully affect the development within the tunnels.
Any, any, any help you can give in regard to controlling this invasion would be so appreciated.
From: askextension=<personal data hidden> <askextension=<personal data hidden>> on behalf of Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>>
Sent: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 7:53 AM
To: Tierney, Joan <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: Control of cicada killer wasps (#0075211)
Howard got you off in the right direction for pesticide practices and discouraging them by improving the turf. I personally doubt a surface application of Bifen will do much, but I have not seen any literature on this use so I could be wrong. I was expecting very high numbers of cicada killers this year, but not in the Ingham County area. Just a bit farther south from you would have been where the Brood X of periodical cicadas emerged in 2021, giving the cicada killer population a chance for a very high rate of reproduction; that would lead to an adult population boom in 2022. Typically, the population crashes down to near-normal levels in a year or so, since there are no periodical cicadas around until the next big brood emerges. In your area, there are just the so-called annual cicadas, which have an emergence of adults each year, but never a big boom year. So usually, the cicada killer wasps are in low to moderate numbers.
I think you are doing all you can, without taking steps that would be environmentally unacceptable.
I think you are doing all you can, without taking steps that would be environmentally unacceptable.
