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New York is home to a vast variety of insects that, let's be honest, freak us out every so often. For once, we'd like to report on the presence of one creature that you actually should not be scared of, despite its name: the Cicada Killer Wasp.
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According to Prospect Park's official Instagram account, the insects are "out in droves" in the area at the moment. "Although they appear large and intimidating, they are non-aggressive creatures," reads a post on the park's account. "Unlike hornets, they do not have the instinct to guard their nest, which means generally you can walk through an active area and remain unnoticed."
Although you're likely to hear the wasp buzzing around you while gazing at the various upgrades that define Prospect Park at the moment, worry not!
On social media, park staff explains that the males are actually incapable of stinging while the females are "unlikely to." Not a bad deal if you ask us.
And if you just can't stomach the idea of even seeing the creatures around you, park officials suggest you "steer clear of the Long Meadow and the Nethermead" areas of the green space, for the time being. Easy, peasy.
Although a city filled with concrete, New York is clearly a go-to environment for a slew of different pests. Who can forget the lanternfly that dominated our nightmares last summer, for example?
Perhaps most apparent when it comes to local animal-related issues, rat sightings in NYC are at their highest since 2010 and, thank goodness, officials are finally looking into ways of getting rid of them.
Ah, New York, how we love thee.