13-Year & 17-Year Cicadas (Locusts)

There are common forms of cicadas and periodical cicadas. The periodical cicada is widely known as the seventeen year Locust in the northern part of the United States and the thirteen-year locust in the southern part of the United States. However, they are not really locusts at all.
There are several broods of Cicadas so, therefore, many can be seen several times during the thirteen or seventeen year cycle. The adult emerges from the ground late in the spring, from holes about 1/2 in diameter. You may see thousands of holes in the ground under a tree. Each hole has a cicada getting ready to emerge.

They remain active for about 3 to 4 weeks and have been known to survive a month without food. The male makes a vibrating or buzzing sound. The females sow vertical slits often 3 or 4 inches long in young twigs Or branches, and lay up to four dozen eggs in a row. She will do this at least twenty times in a few weeks. Usually, that weakens the branch and it readily breaks off. It is possible for entire trees and shrubs to be practically killed with a heavy infestation.

After about six weeks the egg hatch and the young burrow into the ground and locate on the roots of the trees. They will feed on the sap of the tree roots for the next 13 or 17 years. At the end of that time period they emerge and begin the very short adult life cycle.

Cicadas do not hurt people or pets. They do not sting or bite. If you do nothing at all, they will NOT kill your entire tree or shrub. However, they can damage branches and cause individual branches to die.

CONTROL Use one of the following:

• Cover young trees, particularly fruit and flowering trees, with cheese clothe garden netting.
• Remove and destroy the egg-laden branches.
• Mix 2Tbsp (or 1/3 oz) of Sevin to a gallon of water and spray the young trees while the female cicadas are busy laying eggs on the branches.