Wasp Tunnels

Of course, the giant wasps are going to get your attention, but the fresh dirt is also a good sign.I’ve seen Cicada Killer Wasps dig into the bare, hard-packed dirt of tree pits, but I’m guessing a gentle, grassy slope is more favorable.Sphecius speciosus excavate long tunnels, which they then provision with paralyzed cicadas. (How the hell do they get a cicada?) An egg is laid on the cicada; the wasp larva eats the cicada and pupates over winter. They’ll emerge next summer. Generations show site fidelity. This small bank in Green-Wood has been active for a couple of years at least. There’s a steeper slope in Prospect that has long been busy with these big wasps. Wherever you have cicadas, you’ll find these wasps, including in street pits and people’s gardens. (The Flatbush Gardener has five locations on his block, including his yard.)

This particular female seemed more territorial than usual. She got in our faces eight feet away from this hole. We moved along.