Signs You Have Cicada Killers & Mining Bees in Your Long Island Home
You have cicada killer wasps or mining bees on your Long Island property if you see small conical dirt mounds in the lawn with a single central hole, giant black-and-yellow wasps flying low over the grass in July and August, or dozens of smaller bees hovering just above bare or sandy soil in April and May. Nassau County South Shore lawns and Suffolk County properties with sandy or compacted soil are prime habitat. Playgrounds, baseball diamond edges, and thin-turf areas along driveways are the most common trouble spots. Numbers can multiply year over year if the burrows are left alone, since females return to the same soil each season.
How Bobby Bugs Treats Cicada Killers & Mining Bees
Bobby Bugs treats cicada killers and mining bees on Long Island by treating each burrow entrance directly, treating the surrounding soil, and recommending turf improvements to make the area unattractive next season. Expect a 6-month written guarantee.
- 1Free phone triage and species confirmation.
- 2On-site walk of the yard to map every active burrow.
- 3Direct treatment of each burrow entrance with a professional product.
- 4Surface treatment of surrounding thin turf and bare soil.
- 5Turf-density and overseeding recommendations for long-term prevention.
- 6Written 6-month guarantee against renewed activity in the same area.
How Long Does It Take to Get Rid of Cicada Killers & Mining Bees?
Cicada killer and mining bee activity on treated Long Island lawns drops sharply within 24 to 72 hours after burrow treatment, with visible flying activity typically at zero inside a week. Because these species emerge from soil year over year, the 6-month written guarantee covers the remainder of the current season. Turf-density improvement is the single biggest factor in preventing return activity the following year.
How to Keep Cicada Killers & Mining Bees From Coming Back
To keep cicada killer wasps and mining bees off your Long Island lawn, overseed thin turf in fall, top-dress sandy or compacted areas with quality soil, water deeply and infrequently to encourage dense root systems, and shade south-facing bare patches with mulch or ground cover. Fill visible burrows promptly. Bobby Bugs can pre-treat known problem areas in June before the July surge.
More resources
- Visit our full services list.
- See every area we serve across Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and The Bronx.
- See our wasp and hornet nest removal page.
- See our tick control page.
Frequently asked questions
What are the giant wasps digging in my lawn?
The giant wasps digging in your Long Island lawn in July and August are almost certainly cicada killers. They are two-inch black-and-yellow ground-nesting wasps that hunt cicadas and burrow into sandy soil, thin turf, and playground borders. They look terrifying but are rarely aggressive toward people.
Are cicada killer wasps dangerous to kids and pets?
Cicada killers rarely sting people or pets, since males cannot sting and females are focused on hunting cicadas. However, bare feet in a heavily colonized lawn or a curious dog nose in a burrow can trigger contact. Treatment is worthwhile in high-traffic areas of a Long Island yard.
How do I get rid of ground bees?
Bobby Bugs treats ground-nesting bees and wasps on Long Island, including cicada killers and mining bees, by treating each burrow entrance with a professional product and treating the surrounding sandy or bare soil. Overseeding thin turf and improving lawn density afterward makes the area less attractive next year.
Why does my lawn have small dirt mounds everywhere?
Small dirt mounds with a single hole in the middle across a Long Island lawn in April and May are usually solitary mining bees, and mounds in July and August are usually cicada killer wasps. Both prefer thin turf and sandy soil, which is why South Shore Nassau and Suffolk lawns see them heavily.