Thank you Very little

| quote: Cicada killer
SIL recently dug up back yard, put in large patio area, maybe they disturbed a nest.... |
| Posts: 25901 | Location: Gunshine State | Registered: November 07, 2008 |  
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Peace through superior firepower

| I found one just like that in the bed of my truck and, yeah, we've got cicadas by the bushel full. |
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Nosce te ipsum

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Drill Here, Drill Now

| They kill cicadas and only sting humans that try to handle them so they're A-OK in my book. They don't just kill cicadas, they go old testament on them:quote: ...the female wasp locates a cicada in a tree or bush and then inflicts a very precise, paralyzing sting before dragging it to the entrance of its burrow. The cicada is not dead but merely immobilized - sometimes continuing its incessant buzzing even while being dragged to the hole. The cicada killer wasp is amazing, not only for being able to detect and paralyze its prey, but also because of its ability to fly carrying a cicada that is proportionally equal to or heavier than the wasp itself. This is an amazing aeronautical feat.
Equally interesting is the reproductive behavior of the Cicada killer. After stuffing the cicada into a small nursery cell, the wasp lays an egg, then seals off the chamber. The egg hatches in 2-3 days, then the larva burrows into the cicada carcass and begins the slow process of devouring the immobilized, but still-living cicada from the inside out. They overwinter in their cells, emerging the next July as adults...
Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity
DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer. |
| Posts: 24486 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005 |  
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Member

| They're back digging their tunnels in our lawn. I still have some .30-06 M1 approved ammo and an M1. Chief Martin Brody and Walt Kowalski would approve.
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Oh stewardess, I speak jive.

| Cessna class, I think. Can't make out the tail number. |
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Optimistic Cynic

| We're going to have a whole shit load of these in July 2022. I'm stocking up on 8 shot 12 ga rounds, the Bug A-Salt isn't going to cut it! |
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Peace through superior firepower

| quote: Originally posted by architect: We're going to have a whole shit load of these in July 2022.
What, like a convention? The Ramada Inn and Convention Center is out of A's for their sign, so it's gonna say "Welcome, Enormous Wisps!" |
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Member
| If I saw those flying around my yard I'd get out my 410, might provide an extra bit of practice for Skeet and I have a couple of flats or reloaded #9 410 on hand at all times. One big plus for 410 is it's cheap to reload. BTW, I've also tested some 3/4 ounce 12 gauge loads but they use 50% more lead per load and shot is not cheap.
I've stopped counting.
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| Posts: 5824 | Location: Michigan | Registered: November 07, 2008 |  
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St. Vitus Dance Instructor

| I had a bumper crop of them last summer in the front yard, about 10 to 12 holes in the ground. They would fly by me within 6 inches but not be aggressive. Talked to my exterminator friend and he said to leave them alone and they won't bother you and he was correct. This year I did not see one. |
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Hop head

| quote: Originally posted by blueye: I had a bumper crop of them last summer in the front yard, about 10 to 12 holes in the ground. They would fly by me within 6 inches but not be aggressive. Talked to my exterminator friend and he said to leave them alone and they won't bother you and he was correct. This year I did not see one.
I took a vacation to stay at my Mothers (post op) a few years ago and while she was sleeping one afternoon, I went out in her back yard and found a dozen or so tunnels, saw a few wasps, but none toting a cicadia, interestingly, there were some velvet ants in the same area, which made me glad I was wearing shoes,
https://chandlersfirearms.com/chesterfield-armament/ |
| Posts: 10851 | Location: Beach VA,not VA Beach | Registered: July 17, 2007 |  
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A Grateful American

| quote: velvet ants
Cow Killers (wingless wasp) My youngest stepped on one many years ago out in the horse pasture, 'bout lost her mind from pain.
"the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" ✡ Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא שוב! |
| Posts: 45468 | Location: Box 1663 Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: December 20, 2008 |  
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Non-Miscreant
| One of the few critters that hasn't stung or bit me. Thank Gawd. The state should require them to obtain a concealed carry license for that stinger.
Unhappy ammo seeker
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| Posts: 18394 | Location: Kentucky, USA | Registered: February 25, 2001 |  
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Member

| "How Serious Are Eastern Cicada Killer Wasps? Will They Sting? With an average size of one and a half inches long, an eastern cicada killer wasp looks very menacing and scary. However, they are relatively non-aggressive and are not likely to sting unless given no option but to defend themselves. Males are territorial and will dive-bomb if provoked, but they cannot sting. Females have stingers, but don’t defend the nest as aggressively as males. Their stings produce a very mild venom that is far less painful than the sting of many social wasps, like yellow jackets. Panic Inducing The perceived danger of the cicada killers, while exaggerated, is a real issue that homeowners and managers of public places must consider. These insects look vicious and dangerous, so people will describe seeing a cicada killer in terms like, “the biggest yellow jacket I’ve ever seen in my life!” Therefore, control is sometimes necessary." https://www.orkin.com/stinging...n-cicada-killer-wasp
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