Cicada Killers

As we approach the dog days of Summer, many homeowners are being made aware of a pest they haven't seen for a year. They may notice big clumps of dirt around their yard or the fact that what emerged from the yard are huge wasps!


The pest in question is the Cicada Killer, Specius speciosus. This wasp emerges in late Summer and can cause significant damage in the areas where their burrows are made. As scary as they appear, with the males being about 1.5 inches long and the females about 2.5 inches long. The males will aggressively defend their territory and will fly towards anything that moves into their area. Fortunately they are unable to sting. The larger females are able to sting but it takes a lot to get one to sting you. You would have to hold it and squeeze, step on it, or have one caught in your clothing.

The female catches and stings cicadas. The cicada is paralyzed but not killed by the sting. The female then buries the cicada in her burrow. She will lay a male egg with a single cicada, while female eggs get multiple cicadas (due to the size difference in the sexes).






The cicada killer is a tough pest to control. Some methods of control include the treatment of the burrows and direct treatment of the adults. The length of time that they are active is relatively short and they do serve as a natural control for cicadas, which can damage trees.

Pictures courtesy of North Carolina State University and Texas A&M University

Stink Bugs!

This spring, APM received many calls about stink bugs. These insects are considered a nuisance pest, as they do not feed on anything in the house nor do they reproduce inside structures.

The stink bug that has become a problem in this area is the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stål. This stink bug is a non-native species which was accidentally introduced into the mid-Atlantic area. It is believed to have gotten into the country in shipping material. The first area that had these critters was Allentown, Pennsylvania in the late '90s/early 00s.

The reason these insects have become a problem pest is that, unlike other stink bugs, they like to overwinter (hibernate) inside structures, such as houses. They spend the winter in cracks and crevices in and out of the structure, occasionally being found inside during warmer days or due to heating of the house. In the spring, they become a problem again as they "wake up" and look to head back out to reproduce and feed on plants. At this point, homeowners can feel overwhelmed with the number of stink bugs running and flying around inside their homes.

As for treatment, the best time to treat for these pests is in the late summer/early fall as they begin to look for their overwintering sites. If the treatment is timed properly, the number of overwintering insects can be greatly reduced and less will be seen "awakening" in the spring.

Here are some pictures (from the University of Florida and USDA) of this pest:

Termite Swarmers vs. Ant Swarmers

This is the time of year when termites and ants send out swarmers. Swarmers are reproductive males and females that are sent out from colony. This allows the colony to form new colonies further away from their current area.

Termite and ant swarmers have differences that can be seen by most people and allow for quick identification. While seeing either can be a traumatic experience, knowing the difference allows for proper treatment of each.

Here is a good diagram of the difference between termite and ant swarmers (from the University of Hawaii ):

The three main differences are the antennae, the wings and the "waist" of the insects. I would say the easiest way for a homeowner to tell the difference would be the wings.

The wings of the termite swarmers are loosely attached to the insect. They fall off very easily and you end up with piles of wings where there were a lot of swarmers. Ant swarmers will chew their wings off right before they go back under the soil. If you see a lot of swarming insects in the morning and then a short time later you just see wings, this was most likely swarming termites.

What in the world??

I took this picture and have no idea what this monster is - HELP!