Eee gads!

[babice]

Aaaggh! I am not kidding you. I just saw what looks like a 3 inch bee. I was walking out front looking at the garden and saw this huge thing fly by. Thought maybe it was a couple of dragon flys mating and saw it land over on the side of the raised bed. Then got a look at it - no lie. That thing was huge and had yellow stripes like a bee. I practicaly ran in the house! I looked it up - had to have either been a "wood wasp" or a "cicada killer wasp". GAH! Oh my goodness. Have been seeing some pretty large ones out on the deck on but this one is like bee-zilla!

p.s. sorry if this is in the wrong forum - not sure where I shoulda posted it

[Fusion_power]

more likely a european hornet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_hornet

[babice]

Originally Posted by Fusion_power

more likely a european hornet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_hornet

Blah! That coulda been it but it doesn't look as much like what I saw. I ran pretty quickly! I hope I don't see it again but, if I do, I will attempt to foller it. I'm trying to remember to keep my cell phone with me so I can take pics when stuff like that happens.

[babice]

p.s. I dunno - what I saw seriously had to be about 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Would maybe the queen european hornet get that big and would I see a queen out and about?

check this out - this is closer to what I saw:

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/?s=woodw...rchsubmit.y=11

[BigBrownDogHouse]

I'm glad this thread popped up. I also saw something the other day that freaked me out. It was HUGE.

According to what everyone is saying, I agree it was a Cicada Wasp. I just couldn't believe how big it was. It had to be in the 2-3 inch range.

I actually thought it was a baby hummingbird at first.
I remember it being more black and white stripped than having anything yellow on it.

It must have been passing through, I haven't seen another one around and hope I don't see one again.

[BigBrownDogHouse]

With a little more research, I definitely saw a Cicada Wasp. The photos on wiki match up perfectly and say they can reach 2 inches.

I saw the 2 inch variety.

[barkeater]

Originally Posted by BigBrownDogHouse

I'm glad this thread popped up. I also saw something the other day that freaked me out. It was HUGE.


I actually thought it was a baby hummingbird at first.
.

Are you sure it wasn't a hummingbird moth?

[lakelady]

I had a LOT of them in the early summer, HUGE. Like, 1-1/2 inches long. You could hear them coming from quite some distance and they kinda freaked me out lol...never did find out what they were, but they don't look like the photos of either of those. Mine had brownish wings I think. I actually would run away from them so I didn't exactly get a bird's eye view if you know what I mean ha!

[JamesL]

Originally Posted by babice

Aaaggh! I am not kidding you. I just saw what looks like a 3 inch bee. I was walking out front looking at the garden and saw this huge thing fly by. Thought maybe it was a couple of dragon flys mating and saw it land over on the side of the raised bed. Then got a look at it - no lie. That thing was huge and had yellow stripes like a bee. I practicaly ran in the house! I looked it up - had to have either been a "wood wasp" or a "cicada killer wasp". GAH! Oh my goodness. Have been seeing some pretty large ones out on the deck on but this one is like bee-zilla!

p.s. sorry if this is in the wrong forum - not sure where I shoulda posted it

Babice, you will need to follow it home to be sure. Cicada wasp will have dug a hole in the ground and it looks like the euro hornet that Dar mentions builds a more traditional nest. Cicada wasps are harmless and of no concern, unless their nests are unsightly in the yard.
Looks like the euro hornet has the potential to sting but I have never encountered one.

[jennifer28]

Originally Posted by JamesL

Babice, you will need to follow it home to be sure. Cicada wasp will have dug a hole in the ground and it looks like the euro hornet that Dar mentions builds a more traditional nest. Cicada wasps are harmless and of no concern, unless their nests are unsightly in the yard.
Looks like the euro hornet has the potential to sting but I have never encountered one.

James I dont agree about the cicada wasp. They are only good for cicada control. But they are vicious. And they will take over a yard and RUIN it with their stupid dug out nests. They are especially bad if you have children who like to play in the yard. The loud voices and movement of kids will make them sting, and they do it fast and viciously. They are NOT harmless.

[JamesL]

Originally Posted by jennifer28

James I dont agree about the cicada wasp. They are only good for cicada control. But they are vicious. And they will take over a yard and RUIN it with their stupid dug out nests. They are especially bad if you have children who like to play in the yard. The loud voices and movement of kids will make them sting, and they do it fast and viciously. They are NOT harmless.

Jennifer, you have something other than a cicada wasp if it is actually delivering a sting. I would agree about the nests though. If they are in an area you don't care about leave them alone, otherwise just keep filling in the holes. They end up getting the message and move on.

Although cicada killers are large, female cicada killer wasps are not aggressive and rarely sting unless they are grasped roughly, stepped upon with bare feet, or caught in clothing, etc.
Males aggressively defend their perching areas on nesting sites against rival males but they have no sting.

[livinonfaith]

I think I know what you mean, Antoinette.

The one I've seen is a hornet, at least I'm pretty sure it is. Whatever it is, make sure their nest isn't too close by. If it is in a place that you might disturb, like in a place near where you mow, I'd get rid of it. The ones down here pack a pretty vicious sting.

[jennifer28]

Cicada killers are some of the most disgusting hornets I have seen.



You will know you have seen one when you see it flying by carrying a paralyzed cicada.

The creepy things like to line their nests with cicadas and then they munch on them.

In Connecticut they are quite the problem this year. It would be a good balance to keep the cicadas in check but lately there are more hornets than cicadas.

The problems happen when you walk by their nests. If your kids are playing in the yard near one of the entrances to the nests, they will zip right over and sting you. More than once, I may add.

They are NOT like bees, where bees may buzz around you and "investigate" you, especially male carpenter bees, without stinging you. These things are vicious. I recommend exterminating them, unless of course you notice you have a cicada problem.

[babice]

This picture of a wood wasp looks a lot like it. With what Jennifer just posted about cicada wasps I hope it was more of a wood wasp! What I saw didn't have a cicada. It flew over head and then checked out the rocks around my flower bed. And then babice went...

[meadowyck]

There are a lot of Cicada's showing up lately, especially distrubing when they hang on the pool cage and you can't fling them off, now to have to worry about those moster stinging wasps...... Guess I'll need to start carrying my Epi pen when I walk into the yard.....