Cicada Killer Control in New Braunfels, TX
Each summer, New Braunfels homeowners notice wasps up to about 1 1/2 inches long cruising low over the lawn, and small round holes with fresh soil piled beside them. These are almost always cicada killers, a native solitary wasp, and the first move is usually to relax: the hovering ones are mostly males, which have no stinger. If the burrows fill a play area or someone at home has a sting allergy, call or text (210) 281-1064 or book online and we will take a look.
Big, loud and mostly bluff #
AgriLife's venomous animals bulletin describes a dark red head and thorax, a black abdomen with yellow spots or bands, and amber-to-russet wings. TAIS calls it one of the largest wasps in the country. The size and the buzzing are what alarm people.
The behavior is milder than it looks. Males patrol and dive at intruders, but they cannot sting. Females can, yet TAIS says they rarely do unless handled. AgriLife's E-239 bulletin does note that females sometimes sting people working on lawns or stepping barefoot on a nest, and a sting brings sharp pain and local swelling (E-239).
Shade trees above, bare sunny ground below #
Cicada killers need two things close together: cicadas to hunt and soil to dig. E-239 says they become a nuisance when cicadas are singing in shade trees, and Insects in the City says females dig in lawns or any sandy, bare, well-drained soil in full sun (Insects in the City).
New Braunfels has no shortage of the first ingredient. Landa Park alone spreads across 51 acres that the city describes as shaded by giant oak trees (City of New Braunfels). The second ingredient can show up in newer yards: Census survey data puts 40.2% of the city's homes in the built-2010-or-later group. A young lawn with thin or bare, sunny patches, near a neighbor's big trees, matches the habitat AgriLife describes. That's an observation about habitat, not a promise you'll get them.
The female stings a cicada, drags it into her burrow, and lays an egg on it. AgriLife's B-6118 bulletin gives a burrow about 6 inches deep with excavated soil heaped around it, while TAIS reports tunnels of 0.3 to 1.2 meters with side chambers. Several females may dig in the same good patch.
Is this the "murder hornet"? #
No. Texas A&M AgriLife has said more than once that cicada killers are the insect most often mistaken for the northern giant hornet, which has never been found in Texas. A cicada killer's head is narrower than its thorax, and it nests in the ground of a sunny yard. See our page on giant hornet look-alikes in New Braunfels.
When to treat, and when to wait out the summer #
AgriLife sources agree that most cicada killers need no control. E-239 calls treatment rarely warranted for this otherwise useful insect, and Wizzie Brown of AgriLife has said there is no real need for pest control in most yards. There is one generation a year; larvae spend the winter underground and adults appear in summer.
Treatment makes sense when:
- Burrows are clustered in a play area, a dog run or a busy walkway
- Someone in the household has a wasp-sting allergy, the reason AgriLife's Travis County office gives for treating
- Children or guests go barefoot on that part of the yard
Your next steps #
- Wear shoes on any lawn with burrows.
- Don't swat at the hovering males; they can't sting and will lose interest.
- In flower or vegetable beds, AgriLife suggests covering the nesting area with garden fabric and mulch after the season ends, which should stop the next year's adults from coming up.
- If a sting causes trouble breathing or swallowing, dizziness or a rash, get medical help quickly.
How Pest Trappers handles cicada killers in New Braunfels #
A technician confirms the insect, maps the burrows and talks through whether treatment is needed at all. If it is, you hear the options and how the label directs any product to be applied, and you get a price after the inspection. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) is family-owned and licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture. Book online or by phone, and the office confirms a time with you. More on the insect is in the cicada killer guide, and other local services are on our New Braunfels page.