# identifying ground insect possible hornet?



## annie68164 (Jun 15, 2008)

In our dirt shed floor there are several little holes dug out and these very large hornet-type things flying all over. I did a photo search of hornets and cicada killers, that is not what these seem to be. They do look like a type of wasp/bee but their body is not in two segments like wasps, its more solid. They have the brown/black gold stripe sort of colors, is anyone familiar with these? My husband poured gas in the holes last night and now today they are as thick as ever so apparently that did not work or there are more holes than we know. I've searched all over online and have seen nothing that looks like these. They seem to be abit agressive so I'm afraid for my kids. All of our mowing/car/tools are in there so need to get rid of these or at least find out they're harmless. Thanks!!!


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## danhr (Jul 26, 2012)

pics would do wonders

of either the holes or the bees?


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## adhuns (Jul 29, 2012)

*Sand Wasps Maybe?*

Search 'sand wasps,' we have a big problem with those in MN.:jester:



annie68164 said:


> In our dirt shed floor there are several little holes dug out and these very large hornet-type things flying all over. I did a photo search of hornets and cicada killers, that is not what these seem to be. They do look like a type of wasp/bee but their body is not in two segments like wasps, its more solid. They have the brown/black gold stripe sort of colors, is anyone familiar with these? My husband poured gas in the holes last night and now today they are as thick as ever so apparently that did not work or there are more holes than we know. I've searched all over online and have seen nothing that looks like these. They seem to be abit agressive so I'm afraid for my kids. All of our mowing/car/tools are in there so need to get rid of these or at least find out they're harmless. Thanks!!!


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

We have some of those in our front yard in our Pampas Grass. I have always called them ground yellow jackets.










I don't really know how to get rid of them but I do know gas won't do it and they are aggressive so be careful around them.


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## annie68164 (Jun 15, 2008)

These don't seem to be wasps, they are fatter and their colors aren't quite as bright as the wasp photo he put on here. They don't match the photos for sand wasps either. I'll have to try to get a photo if I can get one that'll hold still, they are always buzzing around. They are about 3-4x the size/volume of a standard wasp (which we have plenty of those around too!)and look like a giant fat elongated honey bee sort of.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

I would bet on the cicada killers

http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef004.asp


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## 4just1don (Jun 13, 2008)

I agree on the cicada killer wasp which is different than regular wasp. My daughter has them in her lawn on a nice house/subdivision so was reading of them.

Either male or female wasps have NO stinger,,,they dont chase you down like hornets,yellow jackets etc.

Interesting fact tho,,they like it dry so IF you take a hose in there and drown them out make it all wet they will leave for dry areas. They poison a cicada and put one in there burrow for each egg they lay so lavae have food when they hatch.

They may have laid eggs and if they move on the young still hatch in ground. Says numbers build very quickly, but only one generation per year they lay 12 to 18 eggs per hole.

Now you know what I know on cicada killer wasps


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## loubugs (Dec 1, 2012)

4just1don
"Either male or female wasps have NO stinger,,,they dont chase you down like hornets,yellow jackets etc."
Actually the stinger is a modified ovipositor and the cicada killer wasp female does have a sting. She can use it if you pick her up, but other than that she will go about her business and you can watch. The males are territorial and will fly up to you. Male wasps do not have stingers.
They don't chase you down like hornets, yellow jackets because it is not a social species. The cicada killers are individuals unlike vespid wasps such as the yellow jackets and paper wasps. These are protecting a nest in which all of them live.


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## Chokingdogs (Oct 27, 2012)

Initially I would have said cicada killer, too, until they said it was brownish. The Eastern Cicada Killer is essentially black, with cream colored markings. There is a Western Cicada Killer that is brownish in color, and could be what the OP is seeing. Iowa, it seems, is in the range of both species.

If not either one of those, my bet would be on a European Hornet, if the little bugger looks like an oversized, and I do mean oversized as they are super big, yellow jacket.

western cicada killer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius_grandis

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


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## noquacks (Jun 5, 2010)

theyre also quite huge- Ive seen some here about 1 1/4" long! scary. but more "docile" than yellow jackets for sure, maN!!


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