Do Cicada Killers Come Back Every Year?
Every July, the same bare strip by the sidewalk fills up with holes again. So do cicada killers come back every year? Often, yes. Not because the same wasps return, but because the next generation is already in the ground, and the soil that drew their mothers is still there.
Why Do Cicada Killers Come Back to the Same Spot?
University of Kentucky Entomology explains that cicada killers overwinter as pupae in the tunnels their mothers dug. Each female builds multiple cells in a burrow and stocks them with cicadas. The larvae develop over about two weeks, then pupate for the winter. The next summer, new adults dig out of that same patch of soil.
UKY notes that males emerge first, in late June and July, and wait for females. After mating, the females start digging nearby. That’s why a yard with cicada killers one summer often has them the next.
The Soil That Draws Them
UKY says females dig in dry, sandy, loose soil. Our cicada killer relocation page describes the same pattern we see in the field: a bare patch by a sidewalk or a sandy garden edge can draw them back year after year. Sunny, well-drained ground is ideal for them. Thick, shaded or damp turf usually isn’t.
How to Break the Cycle
- Relocate the active wasps. We move cicada killers away from walkways, patios and play areas without pouring poison into the soil.
- Cover bare soil. UKY notes that adding wood or stone mulch can cause them to disperse and try to build elsewhere.
- Add shade or water. UKY also lists creating shade and increasing irrigation in a specific area.
- Thicken the lawn. Filling thin, bare spots takes away the open soil they like.
OSU Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine adds that insecticides aimed at cicada killers are not recommended. They’re considered beneficial, and the females are not aggressive.
What If You Do Nothing?
That’s a fair choice when the burrows are out of the way. UKY says the problems from their digging are mostly cosmetic, like soil piles that can smother turf or bother plants. Adult activity peaks in July and August and then fades. The trouble is usually location: a sidewalk edge, a patio, a play area or a spot the dog patrols.
Do They Always Come Back?
Not always. OSU notes cicada killer numbers have been down over much of Ohio in recent years, with populations highly localized. And because they feed only on annual cicadas, their numbers depend partly on how many cicadas are around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it the same wasp every year?
No. Adults live one summer. The ones you see next year are their offspring, which spent the winter underground.
When will they show up?
Males appear in late June and July, and activity peaks in July and August. See the cicada killer life cycle.
Could the holes be something else?
Yes. See holes in the lawn and great black wasps and golden digger wasps.
Same Spot, Same Wasps Every Summer?
We relocate cicada killers instead of putting poison into the soil where people and pets walk. Call or text Northwest Ohio Wasp Removal at 419-614-6445, or use our contact page, and send a photo of the wasps or burrows if you can. See cicada killer relocation for how it works.
