do you sell a product that eliminates cicada killers in the lawn ?
they come back every year and seem to multiply.
thanks
If you read through our CICADA KILLER CONTROL article, you’ll learn this pest is dormant most of the year. But as soon as the local cicada’s hatch out and get active each summer, the cicada killer wasps will soon follow. As we explain in our article, the key to controlling this pest is to treat their nests with the CYPERMETHRIN we have listed in the article. You’ll need to drench the nest good to kill off all the adults so make sure you know where all the nests are located. This will require a lot of material; maybe 1/2 a gallon per hole. Allow for the treatment to work by waiting 3-4 days to see if they are still around. If you’re not sure where all the nests are located, you may broadcast the treatment over the top of the soil. When broadcasting, use 1 gallon for every 10×10 area. This treatment should be done now, while you’re seeing them, and you should do it in the evening thus insuring most all will back at their nests when you treat.
After the initial treatment, hatched and active adults will die. But expect more to hatch as pupae mature and for bad infestations, it’s quite common to retreat 2-3 times a week until all have hatched out. The goal here is to kill all the active adults so you won’ t have any around laying eggs. However, it’s highly likely they’ve already laid eggs so even if you kill all the hatching adults this summer, more will be around next year. About 1-2 months following your initial treatments you should go ahead and broadcast some more Cypermethrin over the area to intercept any hatching larvae. Do this followup treatment over the same area they were once active. The goal here is to have the Cypermethrin funnel down into the soil thus affecting and killing any larvae which may be active after you killed the original adult population.
Lastly, plan on treating again next spring. At least one treatment next May or June will help make sure there are no more developing larvae. If you do a thorough job, the problem will be gone for good. If you missed any developing young, you might see a nest or two next summer. Treat it the same way and ultimately you should be able to get control of the problem. Most people only kill the adults with some type of WASP FREEZE and by not treating the ground where they nest with the Cypermethrin the cycle will go on and on indefinitely. Follow these directions and you’ll be able to rid yourself of this pest for good.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Cicada Killer Control Article: http://www.bugspray.com/articles99/cicadakillers.html
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page519.html
Wasp Freeze: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page517.html
guest says
I had ordered the cypermethrin and sticker with sprayer. Sprayed Sunday PM. Monday AM and all this week so far……it looked like that stuff was food. They are just everywhere…100’s
I ordered the 16 oz and will respray when I receive. I can easily see the holes….is there a powder as well?
Tech Support says
@guest: Seeing activity following your initial treatment is quite common with Cicada Killers. Just be sure you’re using enough Cypermethrin. Remember, these are large wasps and require a lot of material to knock them down in short order. If you follow the quantity recommendations listed above, you should see results in 1-2 weeks. I’ve had cases which needed 2-3 treatments a week for two weeks so what you’re experiencing is not unusual.
And once you run through the liquid Cypermethrin, get the wettable powder seen here:
http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/wettable-powder/cyper-wp-1-lb
Wettable powders will hold better to the weather and seem more active when treating soil. For problematic infestations (like it sounds like you have), the wettable powder would no doubt perform better.
kayb says
last summer, There were about 50 mounds of dirt each w/path leading to a large hole in the ground. went online and Found out they were cicada killers. Called local extension agent, who said to wait until night, the pour diluted ammonia down each hole and plug w/a cork. Did that each night, and each morning, there would be about 3 new mounds. This went on for about a month, and then they went away.
about two wks ago began seeing them again. LOTS of them flying around just above the ground where they were last yr, but they don’t dig holes. Can’t walk on my lawn for them swarming around. Just bought your Viper and spreader sticker, and hit them while they were flying around. I thought they would just drop, but they just flew away. Its been about an hour, and there are still a couple hovering around. I know I hit a lot of them. Are they going to die? I sprayed the ground also, but there are no nests to soak this year. What else can I do? I just want the flying ones to go away…I cant even leave my house from the front door! What’s even weirder…NONE OF MY NEIGHBORS HAS THIS PROBLEM! How is that possible?
Thanks! :)
Tech Support says
@kayb: If you got enough product on them directly they will die. But ideally, treating their nests is a more efficient way to go about eradicating them for good. As for why your neighbors don’t have any; this is quite normal. Typically these guys will nest close to established nests of relatives so the area will become more and more infested if left untreated as the “family” multiplies. Surrounding properties won’t get any because they’re territorial in where they hunt. So it’s most likely the ones you have are all related and their presence is keeping others from nesting in nearby properties since they’re using those areas for food already.
Keep watching for more hatching out of the ground because I suspect that’s what’s happening right now. The “treatment” from last year no doubt didn’t kill off the established nests so I expect you’ll have more and more hatching in the coming weeks. The good news is if you stay persistent with the Cypermethrin, you can eventually eliminate them for good.