worried about cicadas?

Derek Reese 29

5 year old buck +
Hello everyone,
Just wondering if anyone is worried about the Brood X hatch of cicadas that will hit the Eastern part of the US this spring/summer? I heard there could be as many as a million per sq acre....that's alot of bugs! As a first time fruit tree grower, I didn't know how damaging they would/could be or what I can use to spray to prevent them from eating my new trees? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!
 
I am not worried...they bother fruit trees?
I am more concerned about jap beetles, they have no manners and are a pain in the ass every year.
 
I am not worried...they bother fruit trees?
I am more concerned about jap beetles, they have no manners and are a pain in the ass every year.
I just didnt know if they would bug the trees? I have had beetle problems in a garden before, even with a trap they still ate all my tomato leaves.
 
The adult cicada is not out to eat your apple trees, it’s above ground to mate only, then die. The young do live in the soil, but I have never heard of anyone being concerned about their presence, so my guess is this is not something you or I have to worry about. As H20 points out, there are bigger threats than cicadas.
 
The adult cicada is not out to eat your apple trees, it’s above ground to mate only, then die. The young do live in the soil, but I have never heard of anyone being concerned about their presence, so my guess is this is not something you or I have to worry about. As H20 points out, there are bigger threats than cicadas.
good call on the other threats! thanks for the reassurance as I am just planting my first trees in a few weeks and didnt want to see the time and effort turned into bug poop
 
They absolutely will inflict damage on young fruit trees.... preferred target branch size for ovipositing is pencil-size and slightly larger. They don't eat 'em, they damage twigs/branches as they're laying eggs.
Had a mass emergence here, around 1998(?)... within a year or two of starting our home orchard. Lots of damage... but all survived. You may end up having to do quite a bit of restorative pruning when it's all said and done.
Really nothing you can spray to totally protect them, though I'm seeing more folks talking about using Surround - to see if it'll help. . If you had a way to totally net or enclose trees in row-cover or something for the WEEKS that they're going to be active... maybe.
 

Maps are all over the place.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
They absolutely will inflict damage on young fruit trees.... preferred target branch size for ovipositing is pencil-size and slightly larger. They don't eat 'em, they damage twigs/branches as they're laying eggs.
Had a mass emergence here, around 1998(?)... within a year or two of starting our home orchard. Lots of damage... but all survived. You may end up having to do quite a bit of restorative pruning when it's all said and done.
Really nothing you can spray to totally protect them, though I'm seeing more folks talking about using Surround - to see if it'll help. . If you had a way to totally net or enclose trees in row-cover or something for the WEEKS that they're going to be active... maybe.
Agree with Lucky. I'll try netting a few small rare variety trees and hope for the best .
 
I just didnt know if they would bug the trees? I have had beetle problems in a garden before, even with a trap they still ate all my tomato leaves.
Trap is the worst thing you can do. Draws all the Beatles to your yard. Some go in the trap some eat your tomatoes. Let your neighbors put out the traps and you will have less Beatles.
 
I know when they last came out and I lived in the woods it was friggin noisy..
Non stop screeching.
 
They absolutely will inflict damage on young fruit trees.... preferred target branch size for ovipositing is pencil-size and slightly larger. They don't eat 'em, they damage twigs/branches as they're laying eggs.
Had a mass emergence here, around 1998(?)... within a year or two of starting our home orchard. Lots of damage... but all survived. You may end up having to do quite a bit of restorative pruning when it's all said and done.
Really nothing you can spray to totally protect them, though I'm seeing more folks talking about using Surround - to see if it'll help. . If you had a way to totally net or enclose trees in row-cover or something for the WEEKS that they're going to be active... maybe.
Spot on. When they came through this is exactly what happened. A slit in younger wood where they laid their eggs. Some people tried netting, it worked for some. My liberty apple tree got it the worst. It survived, but looked like hell for a few years. Many people cut the damaged wood off and burned it. I just let it go.
 
Trap is the worst thing you can do. Draws all the Beatles to your yard. Some go in the trap some eat your tomatoes. Let your neighbors put out the traps and you will have less Beatles.
Learned that lesson the hard way...won't be using any more traps...the tomatoes (and raspberry bush leaves and most everything else in the garden) did not fare well
 
That is going to be loud!
 
Top