Comments on: Beautiful Biocontrol: The Scoliid Wasp

By: Carol Imamura

Carol Imamura — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 15:00:21 +0000

Thank you for helping me identify these wasps. They recently appeared en mass on my deck where I have large pots of spearmint and peppermint that are flowering. I’m glad to know they are beneficial especially since I had a bad outbreak of Japanese beetles this year I’m sure they’ll take care of them!

By: Thomas Miller

Thomas Miller — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 20:23:09 +0000

Beautiful wasps. They are no problem to work around. I was amazed!

By: Robbie B. Cuellar

Robbie B. Cuellar — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 20:52:04 +0000

Really, it is a Beautiful Biocontrol….
I want to thank you for sharing this!!!

By: Lars Rasmussen

Lars Rasmussen — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 14:01:31 +0000

I had a report of wasps flying around my Aunt’s yard and I volunteered to check it out before she sprayed them. They were the Scoviid Wasps, so I told them the benefits and she agreed not to spray. She was afraid of being stung but you can walk through an area slowly and not have that happen. I later saw a large population flying in low arcs over a cemetary lawn. John. I doubt the wasps were flying in mass in your yard because you had sprayed earlier. Very possibly they know where the large June and other beetle grub populations are. Lennox, I don’t think your dog will have any issues. They tend to leave our dog alone. It mind depend on how much a dog digs in the lawn! These are such a beneficial wasp and I have planted Mountain Mint on the property to attract them. -Lars Rasmussen Assistant Supervisor for Plant Health

By: Lennox Castleberry

Lennox Castleberry — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 20:36:12 +0000

How are they around dogs?

By: John Hille

John Hille — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 14:57:04 +0000

Hundreds were swarming over my lawn this morning but not seen in my neighbor’s lawns. I recently sprayed my lawn for June beetles that were swarming in our bushes. I have also had issues in controlling moles in the yard and assumed that grubs were plentiful and the spray would help get rid of the mole’s food source. Just recognized the Scoviid Wasps today. Could they be so plentiful due to my recent attempt at controlling grubs as food source for the moles possibly are forcing them out of the ground?

By: Charles Ivey

Charles Ivey — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 12:28:20 +0000

I was stung by a blk with yellow on the legs I’m thinking it’s paper wasp they were under my dock,how long will my hand and wrist stay swollen an burn.

By: Lars Rasmussen

Lars Rasmussen — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 18:52:26 +0000

Hi Marsha, if you have wasps in your camper, it is probably not Scoliid ones. Scoliids are ground nesting.. You are probably dealing with a nest of Paper Wasps. You may want to look/go after them on a cool early morning when they are less active with a can of wasp/hornet spray and a flashlight. -Lars

By: Marsha Reid

Marsha Reid — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 02:13:08 +0000

How do I get them out of this camper we have inherited, they have become aggressive when I was trying to clean, I haven’t found their nest?

By: Thomas

Thomas — Sun, 27 Dec 2015 03:46:50 +0000

Thanks for sharing, Nicole. Scoliid wasps are parasitic upon larvae of soil-inhabiting scarab beetles. Check out the Campsomeris plumipes species page: http://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/viewSpecies.php?species=6436