From 2014-2020, over 1,000 ballfields were searched for the presence of the buprestid-hunting, ground-nesting wasps, Cerceris fumipennis, commonly called the Smoky Winged Beetle Bandit. Since these wasps prefer to nest in compacted sandy soil, volunteers primarily searched parks and schools with ballfields. Linked below is a spreadsheet of known nesting sites as of 2019. This list also includes the colony size. Colonies of 10+ nests can be monitored. Colonies of 30+ nests are preferable for monitoring as it is more fun for the volunteer! (More action!).
Sites that are in communities without known EAB infestations are preferred for monitoring as well. For an up-to-date map of where EAB is found in Minnesota go to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s interactive EAB map.
Spreadsheet of Smoky Winged Beetle Bandit wasp nesting locations