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Cicada Killer Wasp

A large cicada killer wasp hangs out on the fence of my garden, scanning for other cicada killers, with whom they have relatively harmless wrestling matches with for territorial dominance, or of course their main prize, cicadas. At two inches in length, these wasps invoke fear in most people. But they are actually for the most part harmless to us. The males, which are the ones you see patrolling the yard, have no stinger, and like a male carpenter bee, are all bluff. The females, which can sting, only attack cicadas, and would need to be heavily provoked to sting a person. These wasps don't possess a territorial defense of their nests, and besides the males buzzing around your head for a few seconds, they easily coexist with people. Newtown, Bucks County PA

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