24/7 Pest Control in North Jersey

What is a cicada killer?

The eastern cicada killer is a solitary, ground-nesting wasp — roughly 1½ to 2 inches long, black or rusty-red with yellow markings on the abdomen and amber wings. It's the biggest wasp most people in New Jersey will ever see.

Its name says what it does: the female hunts the large cicadas that buzz in trees in mid and late summer, stings and paralyzes one, and carries it back to an underground burrow. She lays an egg on it, and the larva feeds on the cicada underground through fall and winter. A new generation comes out the next summer.

Unlike yellow jackets, cicada killers don't live in a colony and don't defend a shared nest. Each female digs and stocks her own burrow. But many females often nest in the same sunny patch, so one yard can end up with dozens of holes — which is what makes people call us.

Where cicada killers nest

Female cicada killers want sunny, well-drained, loose or sandy soil with little grass cover. In North Jersey yards that usually means:

• Thin or bare patches of lawn, especially on slopes and in full sun.
• Garden and flower beds with exposed soil.
• Sand under pavers, along the edges of walkways, driveways and patios.
• Sandboxes, playground areas and volleyball courts.
• Soil along foundations and retaining walls.
• Baseball fields, golf course bunkers and park edges in towns.

They come back to the same spots year after year if the soil stays the same, because the next generation emerges right where it was raised. Big trees with lots of cicadas nearby make an area even more attractive.

Professional cicada killer control

A handful of cicada killers in a back corner can usually be left alone — they'll be gone by September. It's worth calling a professional when:

• They're nesting where people walk — walkways, pool decks, patios, play areas or the front steps.
• There are dozens of burrows and the lawn or pavers are being undermined.
• Someone in the house has a sting allergy, or kids and pets use the area every day.
• You're not sure whether it's cicada killers or yellow jackets.

A licensed technician identifies the insect, finds the active burrows and treats them directly, following the product label. We also look for other stinging insects on the property — yellow jackets, paper wasps and hornets are active at the same time of year — and tell you how to make the soil less attractive next summer.

Honey bees are different: we work with a local beekeeper so honey bee swarms and colonies are relocated, not exterminated. See bee and wasp removal in NJ.