Cicada killer wasps are swarming the Carolinas, NBC Charlotte and pest control experts say.
The intimidating insects range in size between one and a fourth inch and two inches, and experts say there's nearly nothing you can do to get rid of them.
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The wasp's main goal is to kill cicadas with a paralyzing sting then stash them inside a burrow so its larvae can eat it, according to bug experts.
Pest control experts said they're descending on the Carolinas due to the large amount of cicadas that have invaded our neighborhood trees.
However, they rarely sting humans, and experts believe they are very helpful in controlling the population of cicadas. On what was a rare occasion, a Charlotte woman said she went to the ER twice after she was stung by one. Her right hand was still swollen a week later, NBC Charlotte reported.
According to Orkin, People often mistake European hornets for cicada killers. The insect's abdomen is black with yellow markings, and their six legs are pale red to orange with brown wings.
Orkin reports you can try to get rid of the wasps by using insecticidal dust in and around the burrow entrance.