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The Cicadas are Coming!
The cicadas are coming! The cicadas are coming! After 17 years underground, millions of periodical cicadas will emerge in our area this spring. And we mean millions: Populations were as large as 100,000 per acre during the 1987 emergence.
While the emergence is not expected until early May, the phones are already starting to ring at our garden centers with questions and concerns about the potential damage.
The following is a brief description of what to expect. An excellent article, including pictures, written by Stanton Gill, Regional Specialist with the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension, detailing complete information is available at http://www.agnr.umd.edu/ipmnet/04Cicada.pdf. Another informative article, written by The Maryland Department of Agriculture, is available on the Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association's site at http://www.mdnurserymen.org/press%20release%20dec.%2010.htm.
- The only significant problem cicadas could pose to home gardeners is their unbelievably loud "singing". Some folks like this incredible phenomenon while it makes others want to leave town.
- Sometime in late April to early May you'll begin to notice holes in the ground, especially under trees. The cicadas will emerge 1-2 weeks after the appearance of the holes.
- Cicadas are not locusts, nor are they related to them. While they will eat some leaves from trees, the real damage is caused by the female when she lays her eggs. The female inserts her eggs into the branches of trees, generally near the tips. This creates a wound that causes the branch tip to die.
- This summer you'll notice brown leaves on affected tips. The dead branches will eventually fall off, generally after a windy storm. Consider this Nature's way of pruning.
- Cicadas may lay eggs in any tree variety, but favorites include dogwoods, oaks, ornamental plums and maples.
- The cicada population will be too large to kill with insecticides. It is not recommended that you wrap tree trunks with anything. Large trees will not be seriously affected. Covering very young, small trees with cheesecloth from early May to early July will protect them by not allowing the female to land and lay her eggs. Trees of the size that you may have purchased from Stadler's will not be seriously affected, meaning no long-term damage.
- In general, trees will look pretty rough this summer and probably into next year but should recover their appearance with time.
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