Bee Hive

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Can someone verify what this massive sonofabitch is? There is this big guy then about 3 dozen smaller ones that look just like but more like babies all around my bush outside my front door.

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Can someone verify what this massive sonofabitch is? There is this big guy then about 3 dozen smaller ones that look just like but more like babies all around my bush outside my front door.

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Cicada killer. I've read they're beneficial to have around and tend to not be aggressive if they don't feel threatened, but they look like they came from hell.
 
Cicada killer. I've read they're beneficial to have around and tend to not be aggressive if they don't feel threatened, but they look like they came from hell.

I wasn't about to find out after I saw this thing crawl out of 1" hole and with a sword this long. I let the brake cleaner do the talking.

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Cicada killer. I've read they're beneficial to have around and tend to not be aggressive if they don't feel threatened, but they look like they came from hell.
Holy f*cking Christ. That’s what I thought but my god. What about all their off spring around? You kind of see one of them in the second picture. And are we positive this is what it is? I don’t d*ck around with stinging insects.
 
Holy f*cking Christ. That’s what I thought but my god. What about all their off spring around? You kind of see one of them in the second picture. And are we positive this is what it is? I don’t d*ck around with stinging insects.

The "offspring" look to be paper wasps to me.
 
I wasn't about to find out after I saw this thing crawl out of 1" hole and with a sword this long. I let the brake cleaner do the talking.

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We have had cicada killers in our yard for years, and have actually seen them capture cicadas and take them down the hole. They are beneficial. We work in our yard quite a bit. They buzz around, but have never been aggressive towards us.
 
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Entomologist AND beekeeper here. Are the insects hanging around the hole, could you snap a pic? There are bumbles that nest together, with a decent pic I should be able to discern what you e got there, pretty quickly.

To save honey bees, we'd need to be able to get to the queen out. And we're getting kind of late in the summer to get them in a hive and increased in number to the point where they would be sustainable over the winter (plus at least 100 lb of honey put up for winter snacking), but it could be done.

If you're in central Iowa, or in the general Cedar Falls area, I could stop in and take a look. PM if you're interested.
 
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A note on the cicada killer wasps -- I have them in my yard, fascinating to watch. And unless you go complete idiot and just have to grab at it, they are harmless. The male may seem aggressive, flying around the nest, but it can do nothing to you. Ours fly around us nonstop when we're in the garden.
 
Bump. Went to the basement to look for something. We haven't been down there since last weekend. Found 2 dead yellowjackets on the ground. Walked around a bit and didn't find a nest.

My question is do I burn the house down now or do I let husband finish his meeting first.
 
Bump. Went to the basement to look for something. We haven't been down there since last weekend. Found 2 dead yellowjackets on the ground. Walked around a bit and didn't find a nest.

My question is do I burn the house down now or do I let husband finish his meeting first.
How much do you want to keep hubby around?