What are great golden digger wasps?
Great golden digger wasps are a kind of digger wasp. Great golden digger wasps are large wasps that build their nests in the soil. They feed on grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets. Despite their image, great golden digger wasps are beneficial pollinators and protect your plants against damage done by grasshoppers and katydids.
What do great golden digger wasps look like?
Great golden digger wasps are about 1.5” long. Their heads are black; their bodies are orange and black.
Their legs are orange and their wings have an amber hue.
Are great golden digger wasps dangerous?
Great golden digger wasps are virtually harmless; the males don’t even have stingers. They will often hover and put on a good show if you come close to their nest, but rarely sting. If you try to handle them, or make them feel threatened, the females will sting. We often advise that you do your best to avoid their nesting site while they’re visiting, but know that they aren’t particularly territorial; once their one offspring is born, they will leave. It is always best practice to have a professional pest control company like Debug come out and identify what kind of wasp is in your yard.
Where did the great golden digger wasps come from?
Great golden digger wasps come around in the early summer. They like to build their nests in warm, sunny spots where the soil is loose. They often seek sites that have plenty of crickets, grasshoppers, and katydids to feed their young.
How do I get rid of great golden digger wasps?
Great golden digger wasps are attracted to loose sandy soil. The best way to stop having Great golden digger wasps visit, is to remediate the soil and make it healthy and plant grass or some other plant that provides ground cover. If you have concerns about a nest, call Debug and we’ll come out and help you identify the wasp and help you remove the nest, if needed.
Can I do anything to prevent great golden digger wasps?
To keep Great golden digger wasps out:
- Remediate your soil by adding nutrients,
- Add plants like grass and ground cover plants to the soil after they have left. Great Golden Digger Wasps avoid soil with plants.
