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Wasps? Should I be worried?

superka

superka

Junior Guinea Pig
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So every night now i've noticed one or two big wasps fly in through my window into my room. With how big they are I wonder how much of a health risk they pose to my guinea pigs if they stung one of them. how worried should I be? I already close the window when ever I'm not sitting in the room, It's not as those they're welcome in my house to begin with. any one i managed to capture gets microwaved... (the release a chemical when you squish them that attrack's more wasps. this avoids them. it may be cruel.... but screw them they're freaking wasps....)
wasp.webp
wasp1.webp
 
Is it a cicada killer? If it is, they really aren't interested in people or animals. They hunt cicadas and drag them back to the hole they dig in the ground for their babies to eat.
 
RedLoredAmazon said:
Is it a cicada killer? If it is, they really aren't interested in people or animals. They hunt cicadas and drag them back to the hole they dig in the ground for their babies to eat.
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live in canada. so traditional paper wasp 's.
 
I think in general wasps sting when they feel threatened or bothered.
We have a nest I think under the guttering of our house as they are flying in and out. I’ve only had a couple accidentally come in the window as they are so busy going about their normal business.

I too was worried about my pigs so got them and popped them back outside. I’m keeping the window nearest where the go in and out closed now just incase. I don’t like to kill anything if I can avoid it.

I read a thread on here the other day (can’t recall who’s now) and their piggy might have got stung by a wasp in the grass but they were ok after the initial sting. I guess it’s like humans, everyone (or pig) could react differently.
 
One of my pigs got stung by a wasp when she was out in the grass last week. She suddenly made a big leap and was running around and scratching at herself- it was obviously not happy popcorning and when I checked I found a wasp in the grass where they were grazing. It seemed like it hurt but I honestly couldn't even figure out where she was stung, I couldn't find any bumps or anything like that. I don't think it targeted her deliberately, I think it landed in the grass and she literally walked on top of it, so I don't think one loose indoors would target your pig deliberately. Hope this helps a bit, and hope you keep the wasps out! I hate those little monsters!
 
That's a cicada killer, Sphecius spp. ... specifically, I'd say the Eastern Cicada Killer/Cicada Hawk, Sphecius speciosus; it's native range extends across most of eastern North America: Mexico up to Ontario, Canada. There are western species, as well, but this one looks like the eastern one to me; you don't specify where in Canada, so only you can tell us whether you're potentially in its normal native range.
It's too big and the wings aren't right for a paper wasp. Paper wasps aren't particularly agressive either until you start trying to kill or capture them.
 
Yellow jackets are the vicious ones that will sting you just for the fun of it ... and bald faced hornets are extremely territorial and will come after you if you get close (and chase you). This is neither of those Vespula (or Dolichovespula) species; again, it's bigger than even the queens would be, and the coloration and wings aren't right (bald faced hornets aren't even yellow; they're black and white).
 
Wow you surely have some serious wasps over there! We grumble about wasps in the UK but frankly your wasps make ours look 'quaint'!
Perhaps you've heard of the method of wasp control in this popular children's book...?
 
Princess Dustmop said:
That's a cicada killer, Sphecius spp. ... specifically, I'd say the Eastern Cicada Killer/Cicada Hawk, Sphecius speciosus; it's native range extends across most of eastern North America: Mexico up to Ontario, Canada. There are western species, as well, but this one looks like the eastern one to me; you don't specify where in Canada, so only you can tell us whether you're potentially in its normal native range.
It's too big and the wings aren't right for a paper wasp. Paper wasps aren't particularly agressive either until you start trying to kill or capture them.
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I'm in quebec near the countries capital. I looked it up and it does look like it. the fact its the western version of the "murder hornet" makes sense. i was worried about them being those because they're so big. but I am wondering if they're supposed to be solitary why is their so many of them? like 2-3 a night. One thing that does also make sense tho is i've looked for the nest. thoroughly, and haven't found it anywhere. Also weirdly enough they're only active at night it seems.
Well if you guys are right then i got new places to start looking for them. i was looking upwards this whole time. was looking in the wrong direction.
 
'Nest' for a cicada killer will be a small hole in the ground. What you'd be looking for is a small pile of excavated sandy dirt. They are solitary, but if you have the right conditions, you may end up with several taking advantage of those conditions. Also, they may essentially be sisters, so produced by the same mother ... emerging from the same hole and sticking around. If they're males seeking females, they're completely harmless, as male wasps are incapable of stinging (no stinger). The males look for nectar; the females hunt cicadas, so they'll be out when the cicadas are.
 
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