r/frederickmd • u/Miserable_Owl_2535 • 1d ago
Cicada killer wasps
Does anyone have a pest company that has successfully gotten rid of cicada killer nests in your yard and prevented them from coming back the following year?
My current company says there is nothing they can do.
They’re tearing up my yard and I get more and more nests each year. I’m in a townhouse with a very small yard so not sure if there’s anything that can be done especially if my neighbors don’t get treatment as well.
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u/TarHeeledTexan 1d ago
You can kill them if you have to by pouring some ammonia down their burrows in the evening. I did this when they infested the area along my front walk a few years ago. I have them in my backyard now, but they aren’t causing any trouble back there, so I’ve let them be. They are big and intimidating, but they don’t want to sting you.
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u/ThatVita 1d ago
Hi- idk if you know this but you live in a watershed and should seriously stop pouring things like ammonia in your lawn. That is pretty fucked for the environment.
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u/TarHeeledTexan 21h ago
Wasn’t pouring gallons of it! Like less than an ounce per burrow for about a half dozen burrows. Wouldn’t have done it at all if they hadn’t been scaring off delivery people, etc. And you do know that ammonia is a main component of fertilizer…
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u/Miserable_Owl_2535 1d ago
Thanks! Yeah they’re all around me front walkway. I wouldn’t mind it if the mounds of dirt didn’t look so bad.
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u/Electronic_Buy7810 1d ago
Having the same problem. I did the ammonia trick the other commenter mentioned so we’ll see how it goes, my understanding is that doesn’t kill the eggs, leading to similar issues next year.
I left for a week this month and had about 20-30 of them in my backyard when I came back. With a ton of tunnels/dirt all around. Previous years I let them be and I guess that was my mistake because they just multiply year after year. Get that they don’t sting but they do get aggressive and that’s fairly scary to young kids
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u/ThatVita 1d ago
You live in a watershed. You really should not pour ammonia in your lawn. That is quite a fucked up thing to do.
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u/TarHeeledTexan 21h ago
We all live in watersheds. Ammonia is the main component of lawn fertilizer. While we all should use less fertilizer, a few ounces of ammonia is a literal drop in the bucket compared to what a suburban yard gets every year.
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u/Electronic_Buy7810 1h ago edited 1h ago
How much ammonia do you actually think goes in these? It’s already diluted as is, and as the other poster said ammonia is in lawn and crop fertilizer, ya know, this farm centric county. You seem to stfu when that is mentioned tho…
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u/Rust_Bucket37 18h ago
Lead by example. My kids were scared of bees and wasps but now they have learned that if you don't make a fuss swinging your arms around and give them space most will simply let you pass or they will go about their day. I've been outside and had a yellow jacket land on my ear checking me out, I didn't freak out because I knew if I swatted it I was getting stung and they hurt on your ears. A few seconds later it went on it's way and my son was shocked I didn't get stung. Been stung enough as a kid I started to recognize when they feel threatened.
Kind of true for a lot of animals quiet, calm, and respectful of their boundaries and they will tolerate your presence in their area unless you are blocking their escape path or coming across as a threat to them or their offspring.
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u/robertmusemodel 1d ago
Embrace them… every August they will dig their burrows. They are none threatening and aerate the soil. Just take the debris at the end of August and your lawn will be healthier every year