# Warm, wet weather breeds big wasp problems



## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Warm, wet weather breeds big wasp problems

Each summer, cicadas -- a large, loud insect commonly confused with locusts -- sing their song in the trees of the temperate North American climate.

And each summer, cicada killer wasps hunt them, jamming their prey into a ground nest where they lay an egg on the cicada -- next year's wasp.

"They're not aggressive," said Russell, who discourages people from trying to control them. The wasp is huge -- over an inch and a quarter -- and people are often overreact.

Russell said that paper wasps and hornets become more aggressive in August and September and suggested now as the best time to have nests removed.

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/08/press_photogarret_m_ellisonjon.html


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