Digger Wasps!

Two species of Digger Wasps are visiting the yard!  Although they can be alarming to see, they are not aggressive wasps and will normally only sting if stepped upon.

Great Black Digger Wasps have been sipping nectar from my Virginia Mountain Mint. In the right light, a beautiful iridescent blue colour is visible. They can grow up to 35 mm in length.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48738-Sphex-pensylvanicus

The Great Golden Digger Wasp is also considered to be a gentle wasp. Adults enjoy drinking nectar from my Swamp Milkweed.

We noticed a few new holes in the garden, about 1 cm in diameter. It didn't take long for a Great Golden Digger Wasp to make an appearance. 

A female will dig into loose soil and make many deep tunnels. She will then catch an insect and sting it to paralyze, but not kill it. Once the prey is immobile, she will take it to one of the tunnels. While in flight with her prey, birds like robins or tanagers sometimes steal her meal by chasing her until she drops it. Once inside the tunnel, she will lay an egg on the paralyzed insect, exit the tunnel and cover the hole. She does not actively defend her nest. Once hatched, the wasp larvae will feed on the immobile insect until they are developed enough to leave the tunnel. 

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Great-Golden-Digger-Wasp

A Great Golden Digger Wasp removes dirt particles from her tunnel. She always backed out of the tunnel - no turn around room down there!