Wednesday, September 9, 2015

My Ally in the War

Ciciada Killer Wasp are the worst!


The summer brings nice weather and lots of different birds species.  One of my favorites now is the Eastern Wood-Pewee.  This small member of the Flycatcher family puts on a fantastic show when it is catching flying insects.  It perches around my yard then arobatically flies after all kinds of insects. Their call of Pee-a-wee is very distinct and is regularly heard in the woods around my house.  These little guys became an unexpected ally this summer.

photo credit: Bill Buchanan/US Fish and Wildlife

I absolutely dread the rattling sound of the Cicadas' in the trees around my house.  For most, it is a sign of the hot days of summer.  For me, it reminds me that I will be at war once again with the Cicada Killer Wasp.  These huge wasp are mostly harmless and will only sting if you really mess with them.  To my two young boys, they are still very scary.  They like to buzz around looking tough and digging holes in my lawn to raise their young that I will battle next year.  The first year, I killed over a hundred of them armed with a hose and shovel.  They have decreased every year so I guess I am winning.  This is where the Eastern Wood-Pewee surprised me and perched by the Cicada Killer Wasp holes.  It flew at them trying to catch them in midair.  I'm not sure if it was successful in catching a wasp but I appreciated the effort of my now favorite Flycatcher.

If you have ever experienced the Cicada Killer Wasp, I feel your pain.  They are the worst!