World’s Largest Yellow Jacket Bee

Jenn on Fri, 9th Jun 2006 9:35 pm 

Actually they’re wasps, not bees - but who cares when there’s a giant insect buzzing around your head eh?

Ken Savage on Fri, 9th Jun 2006 11:18 pm 

Click on my webcam link up top to watch him.

set it free on Sat, 10th Jun 2006 12:53 am 

I think its dead…..poor creature….mean mean man…

dave on Sat, 10th Jun 2006 1:03 am 

Maybe it’s a cicada killer wasp. Let it go!

Ken Savage on Sat, 10th Jun 2006 1:26 am 

its alive and been in there a short time.

Ken Savage on Sat, 10th Jun 2006 3:56 pm 

He’s gone. I released the queen into the forrest behind my house. Happy. hahaa

dave on Sat, 10th Jun 2006 4:06 pm 

Yippee!

Bulbboy on Sun, 11th Jun 2006 7:09 am 

And they say GM crops don’t make a difference!

=P

Kit on Thu, 24th Aug 2006 8:52 am 

Hello, I’ve seen 2 of those bees in Pa. and have been wondering where they’re coming from and how they got to be that size. I did a search on the world’s largest bees and these bees are larger than the world’s largest.

Debbie on Fri, 25th Aug 2006 8:57 am 

I found a stray cat I take care of toying with one of these just yesterday and it scared the frigg out of me…..it was HUGE !!!!
What the heck are they (not so sure its a wasp as mentioned above) and where are they coming from ??
I live in upstate NY and have never seen one of them in my life before and I swear mine was bigger than the one pictured above.

Mel on Fri, 25th Aug 2006 3:50 pm 

I killed a huge bee yesterday in New Jersey! It’s the biggest bee I’ve ever seen! I actually thought it was a mutant yellow jack bee because it has black and yellow stripes on the bottom. It’s even bigger than the one in the picture. I sprayed it with Raid until it died and then left it on the window sill for others to see! They are amazed. My husband now has it in a honey jar and we’re trying to figure out what type of bee it is and where it came from. Sure enough, another one came flying into our warehouse yesterday which he killed. It too is a big one!
What’s going on with these bees? I hope there isn’t a nest of them nearby threatening to get us!

Teresa on Tue, 29th Aug 2006 5:29 pm 

they’re cicada killers. Trust me, I about had a heart attack the first time I saw one too.

Rachael on Thu, 31st Aug 2006 5:53 pm 

These bees scared the fuck out of me. Don’t mean to have a dirty mouth but they were that huge!!!!!!!!!1

The Youngs on Sun, 3rd Sep 2006 12:14 pm 

I have to agree with Rachael on this…These mothers are creepy…..interesting, but creepy.

My son had a painful encounter with one of these fellas just a few days ago, durring our usual August camping trip to Willow Bay Camping Area in the Alleghany Nat. Forest between Kinzua Dam, NY’s Alleghany State Park and Bradford, PA.

He was in some brush, gathering kindling wood for the nightly fire and got stung behind the ear. The area swelled up like a ping-pong ball. After some baking soda and a few hours with an ice pack, the swelling went down.

The rest of the family and I continued to see many of them durring our stay. They are nocturnal and were drawn to our dining tent at night by the bright glow of the Coleman lanterns.
I was also “escorted” to the tent by three or four of them while carrying my LED flashlight. For a flashlight, this thing is pretty bright for a flashlight and they seem to like the white-blue glow.

They would continue to dive the tent untill everybody turned off the lights. Bedtime became a ritual of checking the tent before you went in, checking the inside of the tent, then killing all the lights while you got changed for bed. The bees that would land on the outside of the tant sounded like pagers or cellphones set to vibrate. It was funny but kind of scarry.

We have been camping there for years and we usually get the same site. This is the first time we have ever seen these guys. We found a few dead ones around the fire area in the mornings. They look like the Cicada Killers, but I’m not sure. I’m wondering if these fellas are new to the North East? Like I said, I’ve never seen them here before.

The Youngs on Sun, 3rd Sep 2006 12:22 pm 

The ones we found MIGHT be Gian Hornets….
http://www.greensmiths.com/bees.htm

The Youngs on Sun, 3rd Sep 2006 12:29 pm 

Nix the Giant Hornet theory…they are asian and my sons tissue did not decompose. Hehehee

Bulbboy on Sun, 3rd Sep 2006 8:04 pm 

The Youngs, you may need one of these:
http://utel.trustpass.alibaba.com/product/11015842/LED_Flashlight_W_Mosquito_Repellent.html

An LED flashlight with Mosquito repellent. Don’t know if it’ll work on those huge bees though.

You can also get some bulbs that don’t emit certain wavelengths, so they don’t attract insectf. Good if you’re sitting out on your patio, although I don’t know if they come in flashlight from yet!

anselm on Mon, 11th Sep 2006 11:24 pm 

I also have seen these bees, and they are huge,i have seen a least three of them near eachother. i would asume that there is a nest near buy? if i was to catch one who could i take it to??

Sonya on Tue, 26th Sep 2006 2:55 pm 

Geez - if anyone finds out where to send them for identification, let me know. I have two that I’ve killed, waiting patiently in a plastic container. I only ever see one at a time, between 5-6:00am (pitch black out), and they dive bomb my floodlight when it comes on. I’m worried about my family & dogs (it’s the dogs going out in the morning that sets off the motion light).

Ken Savage on Thu, 28th Dec 2006 8:43 pm 

eww

Morgan on Wed, 28th Mar 2007 12:34 pm 

Oregon State University will take any animal or insect and figure out what exactly it is. They get a lot of spiders from the general public.

Don Morgan on Wed, 2nd May 2007 2:41 pm 

I have seen yellow jack bees three times the size that you show. I killed a deer in Eastern Washington and the normal size yellow jackets came around for a blood meal or a piece of meat. , while I was cleaning the deer. Thirty minutes passed and I noticed a few larger bees flying around outur campsite. My friend got so scared and sat in the car and roller up the windows. Even though it was 85 degrees, he never came back out. I stayed outside and one landed on my eyelid. I swatted it to the ground and looked at it. It was twice as long as a regular yellow jacket bee and fat around as a big bumble bee. It was yellow with black stripes…A few seconds passed and it came back to life and flew away. It wasn’t a queen bee, because I saw 3 different ones flying around the camp.I contacted a university, but they never wrote back.

Travis on Tue, 8th May 2007 11:10 pm 

Don Morgan: You most likely encountered a Cicada Killer - Sphecius speciosus

Chrissy on Sun, 27th May 2007 2:10 pm 

I am in Morgantown, WV. My son killed one of these bees at 5pm (still daylight). It came into the house and woke him up when it flew in the window. He is a very sound sleeper. It scared him so bad that it took him a couple hours to get back to sleep. He works nights. Anyway, I saw the bee and it did not look like the cicada killer wasp. I looked like a giant yellow jacket, the hind end of it was not pointed like the cicada killer wasp and it did not have that much black on it. He said that there is a nest of them at his girlfriends house. These things are scarry. The small ones are bad enough. I hope that they don’t have a bad temper.

Evelyn Gomez on Tue, 17th Jul 2007 1:49 pm 

I’ve read all these post and have seen what you call the “Giant Yellow Jacket” bees your taling about, but these are not bees as stated in serveral of the post they are Brown Hornets the largets hornet in the U.S. and they sometimes resemble yellow jackets but are much larger (up to 1 1/2 inches). They love light and fly at night and are harmless if left alone. If you encounter on just move awary slowly, they do not like to waste their bite on humans, they would rather save it for their pray.

Look it up, that’s probably what you all have been encountering.

Rusti on Mon, 23rd Jul 2007 4:54 pm 

I just saw what appeared to be a giant yellow jacket this morning on the sidewalk outside the corner store this morning in Los Angeles. The wings were about 1 1/2 inches! The head looked to be the size of a penny, and the body was closer to 3 inches long. This is a first for me. I told the grocery store owner about it because it was on the pavement inside his gate. He captured it in a glass jar and called some group at USC that is coming to pick it up today. Does anybody really know if these are Bees or Hornets? If so, could they possibly be a species from somewhere else that was transported, perhaps by produce from somewhere else?

Geoff on Tue, 31st Jul 2007 2:31 pm 

Its not a WASP its a Hornet they are from the U.K. were i live we have thousends of them, 9 stings can kill a hourse. they are leeving U.K. because it getting 2 hot in this country!!!!!

Allen on Thu, 2nd Aug 2007 5:15 pm 

I have had three of these so far in the last 3 weeks. Mine are black with white rings on the tail section. I am allergic to them and i don’t want my kids to get stung. Where do they come from and how did they get here? I have killed them all so far. just want to know if it really i a bee or what?

Bern on Fri, 3rd Aug 2007 1:24 pm 

I had one around my house then a week later there’s 3 I agree think they are cicada killers there some pics here and info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada_killer_wasp

Wireman on Fri, 17th Aug 2007 7:32 pm 

There are a dozen or do yellowjackets buzzing around my patio table, drinking from almost empty soda cans. They favor Hansen’s natural soda. I pour a little on my hand and they land there and lap it up, then fly away.
I like the lil critters, like to watch the little guys.
Never been stung and when they try to mooch from the soda I am drinking, I just shoo them away with a wave of the hand.
Interesting: they won’t touch artificially sweetened soda but they do like Heineken!
So, yellowjacket problem? Nope, no problem.
Wireman: seeker17@softhome.net

Chad on Sun, 19th Aug 2007 9:36 am 

What you are seeing is the “European Hornet” NOT the “Cicada Hawk” or what you are referring to as the “Cicada Killer”. Before you say they are the “Cicada Killer” do your research on the “European Hornet”. Compare pictures of the two. They are completely different looking. Match what you are seeing to the pictures and you will see that it is actually the “European Hornet”. I live in PA and I had four of them fly into my house at night time because they were attracted to the lights that were on in the house.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Hornet

mary jo on Tue, 28th Aug 2007 10:23 am 

Thanks for the above info. We live in PA and I went out to my screened in sunporch last night to look for my cat and there were about a dozen of these hideous creatures all over the screens. Of course, I freaked out and ran in the house and googled it . So now I know what is out there but I am still afraid….very very afraid. I HATE BEES!!! Well, life is full of adversity.

grace mcinnis ray on Sat, 1st Sep 2007 3:34 pm 

We saw one in our kitchen above are kitty.It was huge and scary.Our mom hit it with a broom it almost stung her.

DL on Mon, 10th Sep 2007 6:09 am 

I got stung by one on the finger. They were dive bombing me in my pool one night(the lights were on)…..so, i decided to get out and went to put down my patio umbrella and one must have been right were I put my hand to release the umbrella and it stung me….my finger is still swollen after TWO DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The one reply about 9 will kill a horse is scaring me!

Julie on Mon, 10th Sep 2007 11:29 am 

I live in Upstate NY (Palermo) and one of these things dove into our siding right below our outside deck light last night around 9:30pm. Yesterday was the first full day in our new house that we just bought, and this explains why the previous people must have moved out! My boyfriend was grilling and heard it buzz by him and hit our house. He turned around, saw what it was and grabbed a broom and beat it’s ass, but it did put up a pretty serious fight. In the end he had to step on it to kill it. I’ve read all the above submissions and done the whole google thing, I’m not convinced it’s a European Hornet because it was way larger than their average size. This sucker was black & yellow striped and between 2-3 inches long with a pretty big wing span. I saw it from the inside of the French doors as he was whacking it with the broom and this sucker was enormous. I told my beau we should have saved it for National Geographic but after doing some research this morning other people have seen them…….we were thinking that it could be a new species! I don’t care what it is but would someone be so kind as to tell me how to make sure no more surface? Should we get an exterminator or one of those bee traps or what? I don’t care if they are the most peaceful things on Earth, I do not want anything like that thinking that my deck light is the new “Hornet Hotel”. Please help us rid our yard of the potential for more to show up!! Thank you!

THEANIMATOR on Mon, 10th Sep 2007 4:36 pm 

woah thats huge are they aggressive?

Ken on Mon, 10th Sep 2007 9:05 pm 

I have also seen this giant bee/hornet and I have also googled to my hearts delight only to find nothing that sounds like what I saw. I live in Columbus Ohio and I was burning some branches in my backyard and I started hearing this buzzing sound. much louder than I have ever heard from a bee. It was flying no more than a foot or two off the ground and it landed real close to my burn barrell. Honestly it looked alot like a bumble bee on it was about 3.5 inches long and about an inch around. it had wings the size of a Hummingbird and was very loud. I could have killed it but I think it was a little large for my own well being. It was black and yellow striped and about the size of a roll of quarters. I have looked everyday since for another one and if I see it I plan to catch it. It is not described in any book or reference that I have searched. Truely the largest bee I have ever seen!

Lloyd on Mon, 10th Sep 2007 11:23 pm 

I live in Reading Pa. and noticed one about 2 wks ago. It was buzzing around my porch. It was light out at the time and I just thought that is one big hybrid. The one I saw was about 1 1/4″ long and about 3 times the width of a yellow jacket. A duller yellow almost burnt orange and brown. It was no big deal until last night and today. Last night my wife came home after visting her mom and I had the porch light on for her. She came up stairs and said that there was a nest of bees on the stone face under the porch. I said that is bull because I look for nests on a regular basis. They love this house. I came down and saw a group of about 25 of the yellow monsters just sitting on the face of the house about 2 feet from the door. I don’t kill anything unless it is absoultly the last resort so, I left them go and they were gone this morning. Well to my suprise I was weed wacking around my lilac trees and 3 or 4 came after me. When I looked close the trees were swarming with them. I mean 100 plus. That is why I found this posting site. Mine are not the so called cicada killer and I don’t know if they are the European Hornet. I am going to try to catch one tomorrow and post it. I will keep looking until I am sure what they are. Sadly enough I just had to kill a whole nest of regular hornets that were attacking me every time I went to my garage. I hope I don’t have to do the same here.

MARY JANE on Thu, 13th Sep 2007 10:34 am 

I’VE SEEN MANY OF THESE WASPS WHERE I WORK IN NEW HARMONY INDIANA..THE ONE I WITNESSED BORROWING IN THE DIRT HAD ALOT MORE YELLOW THAN BLACK COLOR ON IT..MORE LIKE YELLOW TRIMMED WITH BLACK STRIPS…IT WAS HUGE…VERY BRIGHT YELLOW..IS THAT A DIFFERENT SPECIES..WISH I COULD SEE THE LADIES WASP THAT IS IN THE CUP BETTER..ITS BLURRY…TO SEE IF THATS THE SAME COLOR AS THE ONE’S I SEE IN NEW HARMONY??…

nan on Fri, 21st Sep 2007 12:01 am 

I live in warren county near the kinzua damn…. i just had my first huge bee sighting… it was on my grams screen…apparently they are common in this area… accordingto the youngs…. and neighboring nothern states… but im 21 and have never seen these in my entire life nor had any of my family….. its weird

Shanon on Sat, 22nd Sep 2007 11:12 am 

My family and I live in Maryland and we have seen these type of Hornets, Cicada Killer’s etc. (whatever they are) just about every night. They seem to be attracted to light. I used to see these types of “bees” when I was a child, and they had thier nests in the ground. But as I grew up they seemed vanish, until now. For the last few nights everytime we open our backdoor to the deck one of these things flies right in. They are huge, I really want to say they are about 2 inches long or more. Each one seems to look differently to me. The first one that flew in looking to be brownish with yellow striping around its bottom half, it had more of a rounded butt. It scared the crap out of my because my mom and I both are very allergic to any type of bee, so of course we didn’t know if this was going to sting us. The one that flew in last night was alittle bit smaller maybe 1 1/2 inches and it looked black with yellow strips. I can’t seem to figure out what type of bee this is. When I look at pics of Cicada Killer Wasps, they look like them, but without the pointy butts. Then when I look at the brown hornets they also look like them. So I am so confused as to what they are. Or even if they sting. I am worried my son will get stung by one of these things also. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks

David Barnes on Mon, 8th Oct 2007 3:09 pm 

If you do catch these large wasps be careful if you decide to keep them - when dead -for examination down the microscope. They have a terrible odour of decomposition and the light source, if hot, increases it. It is not clear if this odour arises from hornet decomposition or an emanation from the bacteria which are responsible for the putrefaction. It lasts in the nostril for weeks (and months) which suggests it is bacterial. Use cold light if you must! DB

Joe Stokes on Fri, 12th Oct 2007 2:36 pm 

I live in Central Florida, I was walking up my driveway the other afternoon and noticed one, I remember thinking that this is the biggest bee/hornet I’d ever seen, it made me nervous enough to pick up my pace and get out of the area. Today, I walked out in to my garage and heard a loud buzzing sound, when I turned to look I noticed an approx 3″ long, as round as a majic marker bee/hornet hovering along a wall. This was the same type I saw a couple days before. I grabbed a can of wasp spray and sprayed the thing, I know I hit it because I saw it fall in to my toolbox, I walked around my truck to get a better view and the next thing I know it flys right out. I am in agreement with those of you who have your doubts about this thing being a cicada wasp or European Hornet, this thing is too big. Joe

KP on Wed, 31st Oct 2007 1:19 am 

I just killed 2 huge bees at my house, in cleveland ohio. they looked like a wasp but about 4 times the size. it was huge, and there were 2 of them. And about a year ago i came across a bee that looked like a wasp but the yellow and black stripe part was about 2.5 in long. it was crazy. I have no clue what any of these bees are.

anonymous on Tue, 27th Nov 2007 3:44 pm 

that’s no YellowJacket, that is the Asian Giant Hornet, the World’s Largest and most DEADLIEST Wasp

anonymous on Wed, 7th May 2008 5:04 pm 

This is a Cicada Wasp not an Asian Hornet, you wouldn’t find one in North America anywhere and believe me Asian Giants get much larger than anything anyone has seen around here.

Jim on Fri, 30th May 2008 8:07 pm 

We just found a dead one lying on the floor of our dining room. Looks like it’s been dead for some time based on the dust. I’m guessing one of our cats found it and was using it as a toy.

I can’t say for sure about what is in the pictures of this post but what we have resembles the European Hornet and not the Cicada Killer hornets. We’re in Southeastern PA and I see many others here have found them too.

I’m just glad they’re not an aggressive critter like yellow jackets as the thought of those things wandering around our house freaked out my wife. Especially as we have small children…although my kids seem to be more scared of lady bugs and want to play with the snakes so who knows.

juno on Thu, 3rd Jul 2008 12:49 pm 

wow

Rick on Fri, 11th Jul 2008 9:45 pm 

I think the European Hornet is very uncommon and I imagine it was a Cicada Killer wasp. I just saw one in our screened porch and it must have been AT LEAST an inch long. They are supposedly non-aggressive but I killed it anyway. I hate bugs and I don’t want to accidentally sit on it.

TERI on Mon, 21st Jul 2008 9:01 pm 

Include Washington in the bee sighting. We were at Crow Butte Park in Paterson, Wa and there were a bunch of them. They don’t seem very aggressive. We could brush them away and they didn’t come back to sting us. My daughters boyfriend thinks they are the Asian Giants too.

John H. on Tue, 22nd Jul 2008 12:11 am 

Hi Everybody! One of these was trapped on my porch. I covered it with a glass, and slid a file card beneath it, and released it outside. Yes they are big, and scarry. But unless you’re a cicada, you have nothing to worry about! Females can sting, males cannot.They are not agressive, unless you are threatening their nest, (a hole in the ground usually). You can see the same thing I saw if you google “cicada Killer Wasps”, and get all the information you need to calm your nerves… I needed to see for myself! Goodnight my children!

JUDY on Sun, 27th Jul 2008 6:03 pm 

I was swimming in my pool today and i was looking at my butterfly bush and thought i had seen a small humming bird, i got my camera out and zoomed in and captured a huge bee. Does anyone know where these came from? I was freaked because they were aggressive towards each other and the other bees and butterflies. Judy (Wilkes-Barre PA)

Heather on Tue, 29th Jul 2008 9:04 pm 

I live in Maryland and I have one of those GIANT bees! I have been Googling my brain out trying to figure out what this monster bee is that has taken up residence underneath of my cement steps. I am not certain if this thing is a Cicada Killer Wasp or Asian Giant Hornet. None of the pictures seem to match. And to be honest…I’d rather not get close enough to check! All I know is that this thing is HUGE! It is mostly yellow with a very long body about the length of my index finger(no, I am not joking!). It sounds like a 747 coming at your head! Very much like a hummingbird. That’s actually what I thought it was at first. Then I saw what it was and took off running! I HATE bugs! Least of all bees! And this thing was Arnold Swartzabee! And I’ve only seen one. Flying very low to the ground.
I have no intention of trying to catch this thing. Unless it’s dead! And I’m not getting close enough to take a picture….unless it’s behind a door!
But, it doesn’t seem aggressive at all. I still don’t care! It’s HUGE!!!!! Wish me luck!!

Dave on Wed, 30th Jul 2008 10:00 pm 

I live in a rural setting in western Pa., am 58 years old and I’ve seen probably every species of bee/wasp that exists here. I encountered these monster looking yellow jackets today. They live in the ground, similar to a yellow jacket but the dirt is mounded up around the entrance. They are about 3 inchesin lenght and as some other people mentioned they have more yellow than black. They seem to be docile as kids have been playing near them and no one’s been stung. I appreciate the above info. I’ll look up European hornets and cicada killers to see which one fits the image. They are extremely intimidating looking and I would hate to be stung by one.

JUDY on Thu, 31st Jul 2008 11:14 pm 

I searched for a few days a found out it is a “Snowberry Clear Wing Hummingbird Moth.” Just when you think you have seen everything it’s amazing just how little have. Look it up, maybe that’s what people are seeing, unfortunately they only live a week. Lucky for me i got some amazing pictures.

amanda on Sun, 3rd Aug 2008 10:36 pm 

okay my son and I were getting back into the car from a stop at village pantry, and I put my son in the car then i put my self in the drivers seat i heard this loud buzzing sound kind of made me think their was a locust flying in my car….. well i look down and right in between my legs is this huge bee or whatever it is it is related to a bee i started screaming and got out and pulled my son out and he flew out of the car and landed in the parking lot he sounds just like the bees you guys are writing about and looks most like the asian hornet…… why are they here?????? he looked like he had a brassy colored head and wings but his whole bottom was yellow and black striped i was so freakin scared!

Liz on Thu, 7th Aug 2008 11:55 am 

ken,
It is called a Cicada Killer Wasp the correct name for it. I just researched it and found it! I have them all over my yard and going out there I feel I am on a suicide mission! Look that up and you will be awesome pics of it.

Liz on Thu, 7th Aug 2008 11:57 am 

Hi K,

Its called a Cicada Killer Wasp. Look that up and you’ll see better pics of it!

mcole on Fri, 8th Aug 2008 7:07 pm 

It’s not a yellow jacket. It’s a Cicada Killer Wasp. They are large and they buzz a lot but they’re totally harmless. I hope you let it go. The females are the only ones with stingers and their venom is so specifically engineered to effect the Cicada, its generally believed to have no effect on humans. And it’s really hard to get a female to sting you since they’re saving all of their venom for food, or defense of their nests. Again it’s harmless.

roxanne on Fri, 15th Aug 2008 2:24 pm 

i have something in my backyard and it looks nothing like the pics everyone keeps telling everyonje to look up. it’s not a cicada or asian something or other or dingleberry clear wing thingy. it sounds like the one heather on july 29th mentioned. heather, if you find out what it is then come back and comment. thanks.

Heather on Sat, 16th Aug 2008 1:48 am 

Hi again! Roxanne I THINK what I’ve got is that cicada killer thing. It just won’t die! I sprayed a whole can of bee killer on it and the hole!
My poor neighbors have them so bad. They have bored holes all along the sides of their front steps. And they have a baby. They are everywhere! Cicada killer….Muntant bug….I don’t care! These things are gigantic. And as far as telling someone to set it free???? Are you insane?? They’re HUGE!! Step on the friggin’ thing!!! Otherwise they’ll multiply! LOL! I wish EVERYONE luck!

Kelly on Sat, 16th Aug 2008 2:33 am 

I have seen this huge Bee also. I have googled and looked at everything you all said it might be and it’s not that bug. This thing has a long brown body, and a black back with yellow stipes, the stipes looked like they are painted on. This bug is HUGE and I don’t like it. My husband made it mad today and now it won’t leave my porch area. It keeps flying around, low to the ground mostly and it can’t find a home it seems like. I live in Cleveland, Ohio and I would appreciate someone finding out what this thing is. My husband is going on a hunt in the morning to see if he can kill it. I don’t want my kids to get stung to find out if they are allergic to it or not. Please help!!

Shanon on Sat, 16th Aug 2008 11:10 pm 

Hey All, I posted back in Sept. 2007 about this crazy looking bee thingy. Like Heather I too live in Maryland. Back in Sept. of last year I lived 3 hours away from where I am now, and I never thought I would see those bees again. Well I was wrong. Just a few days ago, I found one hovering around my front porch. Now I am thinking they only come out in the late summer, early fall months because I haven’t seen one until now. Also, I think they like mulch because that is where it seems to be hovering around at ground level. It is very loud sounding and I would say it is about 3 inches long, and a browish and gold color. I can’t really tell if it has strips or not. Honestly it looks like a giant hornet. I still have no idea what this bee thing is or even if it will sting. I am very allergic to bees and just seeing it makes my skin crawl. My 3 year old son doesn’t seem to mind, but this bee seems to like him. It stinks because I can’t even walk out my front door without this thing zooming past me or my son. I am waiting for it to land or die or something so I can post a picture here so everyone can see it.
If anyone in the Maryland or Eastern US area has a picture please post it, I wonder if we are all talking about the same thing.

TJD32204 on Sun, 17th Aug 2008 12:16 am 

As I posted awhile back there is no doubt in my mine what most of you are seeing is a Cicada Killer Wasp NOT a Giant Asian Hornet so stop suggesting that it is. Asian hornets are not found ANYWHERE in the world EXCEPT Asia. Cicada Wasp are harmless so don’t worry about them. If it was a Asian Hornet you would be in danger, for they can kill with one sting and leave disfiguring scars from the potency of their venom.

raymond on Sun, 17th Aug 2008 12:45 am 

now i live in pa. i was my store when in flew this bug at first i thought it was just a mouth unit it hit the celling and it hit hard i look up and saw this thing. the words the came out of i will say then on here,where i’m here we just dont see things that big never. so i knock it down because i had ppl in the store at the time it hit the floor and i thought i kill it well behold this thing try to fly away so by luck i hit it again out of the air, this time it didnt move .i put the bee in a clear bagie no less the 5 min when by the bee started to move around again i did have time to look if up to found out just what and where the bee came from. and now i know.

Laura on Sun, 17th Aug 2008 10:46 pm 

Heather July 29, 2008 9:04 pm - seemed to describe exactly what i have seen…. This thing is massive- I am not even sure it is a bee, because how can a bee get that BIG!!! I live in Southern NY on the Jersey border… I hope it is just one, and not a nest, but i beleive it has take residency under the cement steps that lead up to my front door.
The bottom is black and yellow striped and huge, and the top I can’t even remember because I was running away as soon as I saw it. My husband has seen it a few times and I just saw the 747 fly under my steps and it is not coming out (it is dusk, so it is probably bedding down for the night) The bottom is so large and it flys fast, so I forget to look at the top-It is about the size of my index finger at least. I really want to know what it is- especially before I send my husband after it with bug spray.
Heather if you find out for sure what you have please let me know, or anyone else. Thank you

Laura on Sun, 17th Aug 2008 10:52 pm 

Laura again- Just read “Kelly August 16, 2008 2:33 am” that sounds alot like it too…the stripes are bright and kinda look painted on.

Laura on Sun, 24th Aug 2008 2:02 am 

It is me again, hoping someone stops by this site again, with more info…..

I think we have at least two, one I have seen go into a crack in/under our front steps (they are cement)….
then the other day my husband and I noticed a mound of dirt and a hole in the front of our yard, by the curb, (we live up on a small hill)- we thought a chipmunk or something may have dug it (to give you an idea of the size)… later my husband witnessed the “giant” thing fly in.
I have looked at pictures of the cicada killers, but I feel what we have is bigger & the end of it is much fatter and longer. We have always seen them during the day, and the one under our stairs always seem to fly in around dusk, and not come back out till the next day.

Bill on Sun, 24th Aug 2008 4:53 pm 

Hi Folks,
My son and his friend have spotted large bee/hornet in the back yard. They took pictures but unfortantely we won’t see those for a week till they come back from holidays. My son (11) looked at the picture of the bee in the jar and the Cicada killer and said what he they’d seen was much larger. The moth-hummingbird didn’t fit the bill either. We are north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and have never heard of anything like this either. I’m going to go over their this afternoon and see if I can get a shot, also determine if they come out of the ground.

There is the possibility that the sitings above are a variety of species but there seems to be one “unknown” species in this mix..

Very cool that this “insect” should have such a wide range of habitat.

Cheers
Bill, Garrett and Jack

TJD32204 on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 10:57 am 

There is no species of bee, wasp, or hornet bigger than the Cicada Killer Wasp in North America, period-amen.

roxanne on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 2:03 pm 

okay, i’m sick of people coming on and being rude and acting as if they know everything. if you can’t help this post then don’t even comment. it doesn’t help us. thanks bill, garret and jack. when you get those pics i definately want to see them. i still can’t find what’s flying around my yard.

TJD32204 on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 3:58 pm 

I hope your not making reference to my comment Roxanne, if so, I am not being rude I am just relaying info I got from my cousin who is an entomologist who specializes in melittology who knows much more than you about the subject. If you want to believe that there are large undiscovered mutant wasp flying around, that’s fine post a pic and I’ll gladly tell you what it is

Heather on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 4:07 pm 

To TJD32204: I can’t speak for Roxanne as to whether or not she was referencing you in her comment but…I AM! You were rude and condescending. If you don’t like what is being said here, then don’t look and certainly don’t comment. And you can take your smart ass comments and shove it. Go be a know-it-all somewhere else. Oh wait…it’s your cousin that’s the know-it-all….not you!
I’ve seen pictures of the cicada killer wasps and they aren’t as big as what I’ve got. These things are HUGE. So, maybe there is another species out there. But I’m certainly not getting close enough to take a picture.

TJD32204 on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 4:12 pm 

Now who’s being rude?? I didn’t mean to sound condescending but if that’s the way you feel, oh well I don’t care how you feel, go play with your giant mutant bees if your gonna be that way.

roxanne on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 4:27 pm 

TJD you are speaking to people like they are idiots. Maybe it’s just the way you are. We aren’t blind and we can see that it doesn’t look like the cicada pics. The thing in my yard doesn’t look like anything I can find on the internet. At all. What is here is bigger and uglier. So unless you have help as to what it is then, bye. If anyone gets a pic of this thing then the people at What’s that Bug might be able to help.Just google that name.

TJD32204 on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 4:34 pm 

If you notice I never said what your bug is but instead stated the FACT that there is no KNOWN bee in NA larger than the Cicada Killer. Maybe you have a freakishly big bee but that would be one in a million and not the case in most instances.

TJD32204 on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 4:44 pm 

I think some people are seeing some kind of paper wasp or maybe a tarantula hawk wasp.

Heather on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 4:57 pm 

Paper wasps aren’t big enough. And Tarantula hawl wasps are black. These are yellow with black stripes and are at LEAST 3 inches long. When they fly they sound like a humming bird.

TJD32204 on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 5:37 pm 

Now I am starting to think its a clearwing moth and not a bee at all. This seems to match your description the best. Let me go find a pic and post a link in the next comment.

TJD32204 on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 5:38 pm 

Here you go
http://bugguide.net/node/view/217668/bgimage

roxanne on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 6:13 pm 

someone mentioned the snowberry clearwing hummingbird moth and mine doesn’t look like that. it favors the cicada more than anything i’ve seen. the one here (in north Alabama) is about 3-4 inches long and real fat. black and yellow stripes. that’s about the only thing i can get from it cause it flys fast.

Bill on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 7:10 pm 

Hi Folks,
I think I’ve found what my son has been seeing. It appears to be a Giant Ichneumons wasp. There are 80,000 types world wide and can grow to be 5″ long but seem too thin to be your mystery bee/wasp/hornet/thing. This site has pics from all over the U.S. - http://www.whatsthatbug.com/ichneumons.html.

Thanks for letting me comment on your site - looking forward to the final outcome!!

Cheers
Bill

TJD32204 on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 8:25 pm 

The reason I think its not a wasp or bee of any type is because to see any bee or wasp of more than 2.2in would be very rare. In the record books I think the largest wasp was about 2.4in long with a 3in wingspan. The clearwing moth that I was mentioning can sometimes get longer than 3in and are mistaken for giant wasp all the time.

Heather on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 9:01 pm 

Okay, I don’t think it’s the Giant Ichneumons wasp, the ones I have don’t have that long thig(for lack of a better word! LOL!) hanging off of them. And I’m not sure about the moth. The bodies on the moths are fatter. These actually have the body of a hornet…..long and broken up into two pieces. And it looks like it has a stinger, I saw it moving. When these things land it’s like they are coming in for a landing. I thought I had killed all the ones underneath my steps but I saw another one yesterday. GREAT! UGH! Thanks for the help.

TJD32204 on Mon, 25th Aug 2008 10:48 pm 

I would love to see a pic of one of these badboys if ever possible, until then the mystery continues:)

Kelly on Tue, 26th Aug 2008 1:05 am 

I am back, and I am proud to say we caught the bug. Mystery solved. It is the Cicada Killer wasp. I had it alive in my jar and took it to someone who told me what it was. And once it stopped flying it matched the picture exactly as TJD32204 had posted in his/her earlier comments. To everyone’s defense, it does not look like the picture when it’s in flight. She was making her home under my kitchen window on my patio. She is very fierce looking and I caught her around 12:00 am digging the screenings out from under my patio. So they are active at night and if you go looking you just might find yours. I also have a friend who had about 50 of them in a nest in his yard and he said they left him alone and just chased the lawn mower when he was cutting the grass but no harm in that. Happy hunting!!

TJD32204 on Tue, 26th Aug 2008 11:12 am 

Good stuff, I’m glad you solved that mystery, must have took some nerve to catch that big mutha.

Heather on Tue, 26th Aug 2008 12:18 pm 

Ooh!!! I got one! I got one!!! I took pictures too! I just have to download them. And it IS a Cicada Killer Wasp. I checked out the colors. Black with yellow stripes. And I saw a stinger. This mother was caught between my screen and window. And was PISSED OFF. It sounded like someone was throwing a ball at my screen….that’s how hard it was hitting it. Sadly….the bee is no longer with us as I KILLED it!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!! It’s funny, the wings look just like the cicada too. HUGE. But yesterday I found all these cicada “parts” all over my yard. Ewww!!! LOL!!

TJD32204 on Tue, 26th Aug 2008 3:08 pm 

Yeah, I have to say that’s what I truly figured it was, its really nice for so many of you to take an interest in some very cool critters.

Shanon on Wed, 27th Aug 2008 1:27 am 

Yes, I have to agree what I have here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, is a Cicada Killer Wasp. I have researched this for almost a year now. I haven’t seen mine in about a week, But i have found it’s nest right at the edge of my sidewalk and grass. It is a hole in the ground with dirt all around it. I was also wondering, If frogs eat these things for dinner?? I have like 5 or 6 or maybe more frogs or toads outside my front door as soon as it turns dark, and since I have seen these frogs/toads I haven’t seen the Cicada killer. Anyways… Thank God for Frogs, I rather have them, then the Cicada killer things.

j raw on Wed, 27th Aug 2008 1:30 am 

i live in tn. and i have killed about 20 what are they

Ryu on Wed, 27th Aug 2008 9:39 am 

DUDES, have u seen this video allready? 30 of the largest wasps of the world are killing 30.000 japanese bees.
After that 1 japanese hornet is going alone to a nest of the japanese bees. See what happens….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4wRIERp6Vs&mode=related&search=

TJD32204 on Wed, 27th Aug 2008 2:52 pm 

Yes, those are Giant Asian Hornets, they are one of the most dangerous hornets on earth and kill on average of 40 people a year.

jlh on Fri, 19th Sep 2008 10:14 am 

Last night on the window above my front door there were about 20 or so of these very large looking bees, brown and yellow striped tails,rather pointed bottoms, and looked as if they had stingers. They were crawling around furiously on the windows and wood edging. The porch light was on. After about 45 minutes they disappeared. Any idea what they may be? I live in Virginia and have never seen anything like it before.

SH on Fri, 19th Sep 2008 5:14 pm 

I have just seen these large bee things in the past 3 weeks. They fly around my lights at night. I’ve been readiing the comments, and I too have a few questions. Do they sting, and when did they come to North America? I live in VA and have just seen them for the first time 3 weeks ago.

SH on Fri, 19th Sep 2008 6:26 pm 

I’ve been researching these Cicada Killer wasps, and what I read they are originally from Australia. I answered my own question (above) about the stinging. I guess they do sting, but normally leave people alone unless stepped on, or you bother them, i.e. get into their nest, etc. And it sounds like the sting is very painful. Did they just come to the US this year? My neighbors and I have lived here for years and never have seen them until recently. They are really creepy, all bees/wasps scare me anyway, and then these big bad boys show up. Most of the comments are from the east coast, I saw one in TX. Are they just entering the US starting with the east coast? I asked a friend in MO, and she hasn’t seen them yet.

roxanne on Fri, 19th Sep 2008 6:37 pm 

TJD’s cousin is a bugologist! Maybe he will comment and tell you more! I haven’t seen any in a while so I’m still waiting. I’m in Alabama. I only saw mine during the day. Not around dusk when everyone is seeing theirs. Good Luck.

Ken Savage on Sat, 20th Sep 2008 3:53 am 

@roxanne - the one I caught buzz so loud you could feel the vibration in the air. I wonder what the official name of it was. WOuld be nice to know.

Ken Savage on Sat, 20th Sep 2008 3:54 am 

@SH - this is the only 1 I’ve seen too. I wonder if they sting as bad as yellow jacket bees? The smaller ones.

Angie on Sun, 21st Sep 2008 1:09 am 

I live in south central PA and we have just started noticing these bees a few nights ago. It’s the weirdest thing because it has been very cool at night recently and that is the only time we see them, buzzing (loudly) around our back porch light. I haven’t even seen any other flying insects around lately due to the temp dropping but it doesn’t appear to bother these ginormously huge mutant bees. In my experience with them they seem pretty aggressive. I was just walking by them (hunched over and as fast as possible) to get in my door and one chased me right in the house and was buzzing around me really fast. I had to flee to my bedroom and shut the door til morning. Does anyone know where they build their nests? I’m thinkin we must have a new consruction nearby…

Angie on Sun, 21st Sep 2008 1:16 am 

Originally Posted By AngieI live in south central PA and we have just started noticing these bees a few nights ago. It’s the weirdest thing because it has been very cool at night recently and that is the only time we see them, buzzing (loudly) around our back porch light. I haven’t even seen any other flying insects around lately due to the temp dropping but it doesn’t appear to bother these ginormously huge mutant bees. In my experience with them they seem pretty aggressive. I was just walking by them (hunched over and as fast as possible) to get in my door and one chased me right in the house and was buzzing around me really fast. I had to flee to my bedroom and shut the door til morning. Does anyone know where they build their nests? I’m thinkin we must have a new consruction nearby…

Travis on Fri, 3rd Oct 2008 11:06 pm 

Hi,
I’m in central Indiana and saw the first giant wasp/bee in mid-summer. We speculated it was some kind of mutant bee. Yesterday I saw them in my front lawn; they are digging holes in the grass near the curb. I think they are the cicada killer wasp/bee, but we have dogs and babies in the neighborhood and I don’t want them or their ilk. We will probably call a professional exterminator. Thx for all the info.

Travis on Fri, 3rd Oct 2008 11:07 pm 

Oh, sorry, I meant we didn’t want the wasps/bees here; we do want the dogs and babies. Should have proofed before submitting. Thx again.

Ed Jackson on Sat, 4th Oct 2008 11:19 pm 

If they are cicada killers and from Australia they are a long way from home. Think about it climate change man taking over their foraging area where else do they have to go but following thier food sorce UofA does have cicadas in your area?