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Yellow Jackets on steroids?

13K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  iddee 
#1 ·
My wife and I recently visited the Biltmore Estate in No. Carolina, while checking out the gardens I noticed(always checking out the bees) some VERY large ( looks kinda like a yellow jacket) bee in the same flowers as the honey bees.
I have never seen anything like it before ( we live in NH) .Anyone know anything about this huge critter?...It looked pretty nasty!
 
#2 ·
There is a wasp known as the Cicada Killer, I don't know the scientific name, but they're impressively large. I also don't know if they use nectar or not. But, they have a stinger about 3/4" long that hinges from their abdomen - and don't sting people. A cicada gets stung, becomes paralyzed and then these wasps are big enough to haul one off like a large military helicopter transports tanks and such.

Just a shot in the dark, but I've witnessed these huge wasps in action and they are quite big.
 
#3 ·
Yup. Sounds like what he said. :D

They are BIG, Noisy, and quite impressive. Good thing they are not agressive. Even if they had no venom at all, the size of the stinger would poke a rather large deep and painful hole in ya.

They kill Cicada's, and fly with them back to their underground lair, where they feed their young.
:eek:

Blaine
 
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