In article 80db58c0.0307050658.2f2afc70
@posting.google.com, says...
I have a couple of wasp-like critters that sit around on the front
steps of my house (Texas). They are approx. an inch long, mostly
black, with three white bands on the abdominal segment. Other than the
white color, they appear to match the description of Cicada Killer
given at http://insects.tamu.edu/images/insec...e/cimg331.html
Can anyone help in identifying these? Also, how would one go about
pursuading them to take up residence elsewhere? Thanks.

John

Cicada killers will have rust colored wings where the
wings of other type of digger wasps with the abdomen
bands will range from black to a smoked gray. The bands
on the cicada killers can also be a cream color rather
than yellow. Keeping the area they are digging in
saturated will probably move them along, but that is not
always a practical solution. In flower beds, covering
the soil with gravel or a rock mulch might help.
--
We child proofed our home,
but they are still getting in.

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!