Pests We Treat - Cicada wasps in Somerset, NJ scare tenants - Bee & wasp control in Somerset

I was dispatched to one of our commercial residential communities in Somerset, NJ.  A homeowner called the property manager concerned about a large wasp burrowing in the ground along the edge of the walkway. This insect is Cicada Killer Wasp. They are considered  a solitary wasp who build their nests underground. The burrows are dug about a foot deep with cells for the eggs that will become the next generation  of cicada killers. Once the cells are built, the female begins hunting for cicadas that will become food for the larvae in each cell. Once she finds the prey, she stings and paralyzes it, flies back the burrow and lays one egg on the prey insect. In 2-4 days the egg hatches and the newly hatched larva feeds on the prey. After feeding is completed, the larva builds a silk cocoon and prepares to overwinter. The next generation of cicada killer wasp will emerge the following summer.

Male cicada killers do not sting. The females can sting, they are not aggressive and do only in rare instances. These insects look vicious and dangerous. 

Treating their burrows with a residual insecticide or a residual dust formulation is the best way to control these occasional invaders.