Question about Cicada Killers?

Question

I have just recently noticed that my apartment complex is mildly swarming with these cicada killer wasps and I did a little reading up on them. Now I know they don't typically sting unless disturbed, but if they're swarming over my walkway, and I walk past, won't that be disturbing them? Can someone explain their behavior?

Answer 1

Males are a little more aggressive and they may "dive-bomb" you, but they cannot sting.  Only the females can sting and they can be very difficult to provoke.  If you aggressively go after them, you could get stung.  But if you are simply walking by, it is unlikely that you will get stung.

What confuses me is this... Cicada killers are solitary wasps and do not swarm.  Are you sure they are cicada killers?  Or are there just a lot of them in the area, but they are not actually forming swarms?

Take a look at the following link - this person works very closely with them and has rarely been stung (never in the field - and the one sting mentioned was done on purpose to rate how powerful the sting is).

http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/CKcon...