Q&A – What are these wasps in our trees?
Question:
These bees (or wasps?) are swarming around all 8 of our Leyland Cypress Trees. Are these yellow jackets, or what? Will they sting? Why are they swarming our trees? I thought yellow jackets lived in the ground!
Answer:
These are parasitic tiphiid wasps. They are considered beneficial insects. They parasitize beetle larvae like May beetles, June beetles, and Japanese beetles. The female will sting the larva to paralyze it and then lay an egg. When the egg hatches the wasp larva will feed on the beetle larva. Only the female has a stinger.
Related Resources
Parasitoid Wasps (Hymenoptera)
Predatory Wasps
These bees (or wasps?) are swarming around all 8 of our Leyland Cypress Trees. Are these yellow jackets, or what? Will they sting? Why are they swarming our trees? I thought yellow jackets lived in the ground!
Answer:
These are parasitic tiphiid wasps. They are considered beneficial insects. They parasitize beetle larvae like May beetles, June beetles, and Japanese beetles. The female will sting the larva to paralyze it and then lay an egg. When the egg hatches the wasp larva will feed on the beetle larva. Only the female has a stinger.
Related Resources
Parasitoid Wasps (Hymenoptera)
Predatory Wasps