Large wasps with a fearsome name are about to make their annual appearance in Kentucky. Ric Bessin is an extension entomologist with the University of Kentucky. He said cicada killer wasps will emerge in the next few weeks and stick around through August.
“It gets that name because it kills cicadas. People get freaked out by it because it's such a big wasp (and) has such an imposing stinger, and they want to think of it more as a killer wasp, rather than a cicada killer wasp.”
Bessin said by the time cicada killer wasps emerge, Brood 14 cicadas, which have made a racket the last month or so, will be gone, so the wasps will dine on cicadas that show up annually. He said the cicada killers aren’t a threat to humans – but they can be a nuisance.
“The male wasps can be very imposing. They can fly towards people and get within what we call our safety zone.”
Bessin said male cicada killer wasps don’t have stingers and females don’t use theirs to defend their breeding areas.
