Despite having the word ‘killer’ in their name, cicada killer wasps are actually very helpful to the North American ecosystem, according to the DNR. They kill cicadas, a large insect that Michiganders associate with the mid-ranged buzz heard in the summertime.

When cicadas come out of the ground and make their sound, the female wasps use their stingers to inject venom into the bug and carry it back home. Karen Cleveland, a DNR game biologist, said respecting the wasps’ space will not try to harm people in self-defense.

“You may see these wasps while you’re outside this year and immediately think of the stories of giant murder hornets invading North America,” Cleveland said. “Don’t worry. This secretive native insect has been here all along, and can be found silencing cicadas across the entire eastern U.S.”