A hornet infestation at Miamisfort that mystified city officials last week and sent them to Purdue University’s entomology department for assistance has been stung.
“They’re all gone,” City Parks Director Adrian Roach said. “We applied a chemical when they started burrowing, and it killed the queen. Or queens, I should say.”
He didn’t have an exact figure for how many insects had claimed a stake in the sandbox at the park, which was never closed although the city issued a warning about using it after the threat was discovered.
“There were a lot of them,” he said.
Roach said he used Sevin Dust, a common pesticide. He said he sent photos of the previously unidentified insects to Purdue and they were identified as European Cicada Killers.
“Basically we were just waiting until we saw the burrows to put a surface chemical on the burrow,” he said. “The males were the ones that were flying around. The males bring that dust into the queen. Without a queen, the males die.”
He said he had used the chemical before at the Peru Municipal Golf Course and had handled cicada killers previously.
“They come out every year,” he said. “They do not sting or bite; they’re just a nuisance. They don’t come out until this time of the year.”
Roach said the city applied the chemical Friday around 9 a.m. and saw progress around 1:30 p.m. that day. He said he saw the “full effect” of it Monday when there was no swarming.
Roach said workers cleaned up what dead insects were visible, but ones that died within the burrows were likely staying there.
“They could burrow up to 2 or 3 feet down. If they’re down that deep, they will get into soil below. There’s no way to get them unless we’re digging it all out, which we’re not going to do,” he said. “It shouldn’t be a problem.”
And although the majority of the insects are dead, there are still signs up, and the sandbox remains caution-taped for the stragglers.
“They should not hurt anybody,” he said. “Use caution. If people see them flying around, notify the parks department. We check it two or three times a day.”
Mayor Jim Walker said that although Miamisfort is “safe once again,” this “is the time of year when wasps are still going to be flying through.”
“Even though they may not be nesting there, they still might be in the area,” he said. “I encourage everyone to be aware, and if you know you have a child that is allergic to stings, have a kit available in case they need it.”
Walker said he “applauded Adrian’s efforts and going to Purdue.”
“I appreciate his diligence in getting that done,” he said.
Roach said he was pleased to have the worst of the incident behind him.
“We’ll look forward to them again next year,” he said.