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Gentle Wasps • No Poison • Beekeeper-Owned
Cicada Killer Relocation Without Poison
Cicada killer relocation is for the big wasps that dig burrows along your walk, patio or lawn edge in midsummer. They look scary, but they are gentle. Males can’t sting at all, and females rarely do. We move them away from where people walk and play instead of poisoning the ground.
These are solitary wasps, not a colony. Each female digs her own burrow and stocks it with cicadas for her young, which is where the name comes from.
Signs You Have Cicada Killers
- Very large wasps, black or rust-colored with yellow bands, flying low over the lawn
- Round holes about the width of a finger, often with a fan of loose soil at the opening
- Burrows in sunny, bare or sandy spots, along sidewalks, patio edges and garden beds
- Wasps that chase each other or hover near you but don’t sting (territorial males)
- A big wasp carrying a cicada across the yard
- Activity that peaks in July and August, then fades
How Our Cicada Killer Relocation Works
The same four steps on every job
1
Send a Photo
Call or text 419-614-6445 with a picture of the wasp or the burrows and where they are.
2
Confirm the Species
We make sure they’re cicada killers and not yellowjackets, which need a very different plan.
3
Relocate
Wasps are moved away from walkways, patios and play areas, with no poison poured into the soil.
4
Make the Spot Less Inviting
We share simple changes that make bare, sunny soil less attractive for next summer.
Cicada Killers vs. Yellowjackets
Both nest in the ground, but they behave very differently. A yellowjacket hole is a doorway to a colony that can hold thousands of workers ready to defend it. A cicada killer burrow belongs to one female who has no interest in you.
If you see a steady line of small wasps using one hole, treat it as yellowjackets and keep your distance. Our guide to ground bees vs. yellowjackets helps tell them apart, and our page on wasp and hornet nest removal covers yellowjacket nests.
Why Cicada Killer Relocation Beats Poison
Pouring chemicals into the lawn puts residue right where kids, pets and bare feet go. It can also harm the bees and other insects that share the soil. Cicada killers help keep cicada numbers in check, and they leave once the season ends.
Learn more about these gentle wasps in mud daubers and cicada killers and great black wasps and golden digger wasps.
Helpful Reading
- Mud daubers and cicada killers: gentle solitary wasps
- Great black wasps and golden digger wasps
- Ground bees vs. yellowjackets
- Keeping kids and pets safe around nests
Where We Work
We serve Northwest Ohio, Southern Michigan and Eastern Indiana from two offices: our Main Office in Loudon Township and our Bryan, OH Office. Find your town in our service area, or see all four of our services.
Cicada Killer Relocation FAQs
About Cicada Killers
Do cicada killers sting?
Males can’t sting at all. Females can, but they rarely do unless they are stepped on or grabbed. Most people only notice the males, which buzz around and look bold but are harmless.
Why do they show up in the same spot every summer?
Females like sunny, loose, well-drained soil with little grass cover. A bare patch by a sidewalk or a sandy garden edge can draw them back year after year.
How can I tell cicada killers from yellowjackets?
Cicada killers are much bigger and work alone, each at her own hole. Yellowjackets are smaller and stream in and out of one shared hole. When in doubt, text a photo first.
When are cicada killers active in Ohio?
They are a midsummer wasp. Activity usually peaks in July and August and fades as the season ends.
About Cicada Killer Relocation
Will you poison the burrows in my lawn?
No. We relocate cicada killers instead of putting chemicals into the soil where people and pets walk.
Is cicada killer relocation worth it if they are harmless?
If the burrows are out of the way, leaving them alone is fine. Relocation makes sense when they nest along a walkway, a patio or a play area and people are nervous to use it.
Need Cicada Killer Relocation?
Free virtual quotes. No poison sprays. Bees and native paper wasps are always moved, never killed.
