The kids and I have been seeing these guys around since we moved in, but I was having trouble tracking down exactly what they are. After numerous yellow jacket stings on the farm, and a huge bald-faced hornets nest discovered/removed, we’re a little wary of flying creatures wielding stingers…
Turns out they’re not aggressive and are actually highly beneficial. The Digger Wasp flies low to the ground {we see them in greater numbers when the sky is overcast…?} and hunts for white grubs buried in the soil. The female Digger Wasp lays an egg inside the grub, and when it hatches, the new baby wasp eats the grub, reducing the numbers of Japanese Beetles. They also like nectar so they’re a native pollinator!
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