• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

Sign up for our Newsletter

Kalamazoo Garden Council

Enhancing Our Environment

  • Garden Gifts & Tools
    • Pruners & Loppers
    • Gardening Tools
    • Specialty Merchandise
    • General Information-Tools
    • Shipping Information
    • My Account
    • Contact Information
  • Member Clubs
    • Burke View Garden Club (BV)
    • Chula Vista Garden Club (CV)
    • Gardenettes Garden Club (GA)
    • Grow and Show Garden Club (GS)
    • Kalamazoo Garden Club (KA)
    • Landscapers Garden Club (LA)
    • Petal Pushers Garden Club (PP)
    • Western Hills Garden Club (WH)
    • Westwood Garden Club (WW)
  • Contact
    • Council House and Reservations
    • Contact the KGC Webmaster
    • Membership Inquiry
  • Log In
  • Garden Gifts & Tools
    • Pruners & Loppers
    • Gardening Tools
    • Specialty Merchandise
    • General Information-Tools
    • Shipping Information
    • My Account
    • Contact Information
  • Member Clubs
    • Burke View Garden Club (BV)
    • Chula Vista Garden Club (CV)
    • Gardenettes Garden Club (GA)
    • Grow and Show Garden Club (GS)
    • Kalamazoo Garden Club (KA)
    • Landscapers Garden Club (LA)
    • Petal Pushers Garden Club (PP)
    • Western Hills Garden Club (WH)
    • Westwood Garden Club (WW)
  • Contact
    • Council House and Reservations
    • Contact the KGC Webmaster
    • Membership Inquiry
  • Log In
  • Home
  • Membership Benefits
    • History
    • Goals and Objectives
    • Board Members
    • Committees and Liaisons
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Tribute Fund
    • Lifetime Achievement, Consultants and Flower Show Judges
    • Past Presidents
  • Join a Club!
    • How Do I Join?
  • Events & Notices
    • Council Events
    • Shows, Schools & Conventions
      • Speakers Lists
  • Michigan Gardening
  • Calendar
  • Member Area
    • Website Registration
    • Membership Benefits and Responsibilities
    • Newsletters
      • MGC: Thru The Garden Gate
      • The Garden Post
      • NGC: Keeping in Touch
  • National Garden Clubs, Inc.
  • Central Region – NGC
  • Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc.
  • Home
  • Membership Benefits
    • History
    • Goals and Objectives
    • Board Members
    • Committees and Liaisons
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Tribute Fund
    • Lifetime Achievement, Consultants and Flower Show Judges
    • Past Presidents
  • Join a Club!
    • How Do I Join?
  • Events & Notices
    • Council Events
    • Shows, Schools & Conventions
      • Speakers Lists
  • Michigan Gardening
  • Calendar
  • Member Area
    • Website Registration
    • Membership Benefits and Responsibilities
    • Newsletters
      • MGC: Thru The Garden Gate
      • The Garden Post
      • NGC: Keeping in Touch
You are here: Home / Beneficial Insects / Great Black Wasp: Beneficial Insect
Photography by member Kathy Kienle. Image used with her permission.
Photo Credit: Kathy Kienle

Great Black Wasp: Beneficial Insect

August 13, 2018 //  by Kathy Kienle

Photo credit: Kathy Kienle
Photo credit: Kathy Kienle

Great Black Wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus)

The iridescent Great Black Wasp is a beneficial insect in spite of its scary appearance being 1-1.5” long. They are nectar and pollen eaters. They gather prey (Katydids, Grasshoppers and Crickets)  to feed their immature offspring located in underground nests. Since Great Black Wasps do not have a colony to defend they are solitary, non-aggressive wasps. In fact, only the females can sting and only if their nest is threatened.  Their preferred habitat is areas where prey is located, like meadows, pastures and residential areas where gardens, landscaping plants and flowers are found.

written by Kathy Kienle

Category: Beneficial Insects, Michigan Gardening

Previous Post: « Through the Lens of a Gardener
Next Post: Gardening Study School »

Primary Sidebar

Upcoming Events

Jul
5
Tue
2022
9:30 am Kal. Garden Club Board mtg. (Porch) @ Porch
Kal. Garden Club Board mtg. (Porch) @ Porch
Jul 5 @ 9:30 am – 11:00 am
 
9:30 am KGC Officers Agenda Meeting @ Council House: Library
KGC Officers Agenda Meeting @ Council House: Library
Jul 5 @ 9:30 am – 11:30 am
 
Jul
8
Fri
2022
12:30 pm Kalamazoo Garden Club Meeting @ KGC Council House
Kalamazoo Garden Club Meeting @ KGC Council House
Jul 8 @ 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Kalamazoo Garden Club Meeting @ KGC Council House
Kalamazoo Garden Club’s first club program of the new fiscal year will feature club members Chris Morgan, Jan Keys and Norma Stancati.  They are presenting a “Flower Show 101” ahead of the Council’s Standard Flower Show July 22-23 at Wedel’s.  These …
Jul
12
Tue
2022
9:30 am KGCouncil Board Meetings @ Council House
KGCouncil Board Meetings @ Council House
Jul 12 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
 
Jul
19
Tue
2022
12:30 pm Documentation Training @ Library
Documentation Training @ Library
Jul 19 @ 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm
 
View Calendar

Flower Show 101

July 8th , 12:30pm

NGC Standard Flower Show

Wedel’s Garden Center on July 22 & 23, 2022.

What are Keystone Native Plants and Why are They so Important?

14% of native plants (the keystones) support 90% of butterfly and moth lepidoptera species.

Footer

Kalamazoo Garden Council

5333 N. Westnedge
Kalamazoo, MI 49004
Contact US
View Larger Map

Donate by Shopping at Amazon

Make a Donation

No PayPal account needed.

Upcoming Events

Jul
5
Tue
2022
9:30 am KGC Officers Agenda Meeting @ Council House: Library
KGC Officers Agenda Meeting @ Council House: Library
Jul 5 @ 9:30 am – 11:30 am
 
Jul
8
Fri
2022
12:30 pm Kalamazoo Garden Club Meeting @ KGC Council House
Kalamazoo Garden Club Meeting @ KGC Council House
Jul 8 @ 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Kalamazoo Garden Club Meeting @ KGC Council House
Kalamazoo Garden Club’s first club program of the new fiscal year will feature club members Chris Morgan, Jan Keys and Norma Stancati.  They are presenting a “Flower Show 101” ahead of the Council’s Standard Flower Show July 22-23 at Wedel’s.  These …
Jul
12
Tue
2022
9:30 am KGCouncil Board Meetings @ Council House
KGCouncil Board Meetings @ Council House
Jul 12 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
 
Aug
2
Tue
2022
9:30 am KGC Officers Agenda Meeting @ Council House: Library
KGC Officers Agenda Meeting @ Council House: Library
Aug 2 @ 9:30 am – 11:30 am
 
Aug
9
Tue
2022
9:30 am KGCouncil Board Meetings @ Council House
KGCouncil Board Meetings @ Council House
Aug 9 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
 
Aug
10
Wed
2022
1:00 pm Petal Pushers @ Council House
Petal Pushers @ Council House
Aug 10 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
 
View Calendar

Affiliations

  • National Garden Clubs, Inc.
  • Central Region – NGC
  • Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc.
  • National Garden Clubs, Inc.
  • Central Region – NGC
  • Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc.

Copyright © 2022 Kalamazoo Garden Council · All Rights Reserved