This is the first time this species of wasp has been identified in the backyard garden. On closer inspection of the photos I took, I realized that the wasp was in possession of a tree cricket. Grass-carrying wasps build their nests above ground, often in hollow plant stems. They hunt primarily tree crickets to pack into their above ground nests as food for their young. Nesting season usually begins in the month of July. Adult wasps feed on the nectar of native plants.