Brood X Cicada Swarm?

[Agianinio]

Hi! So this is my first year I’ll have to deal with the ridiculous amount of cicadas the scientists have dubbed Brood X. Aka the cicada swarms that pop up every 13 or 17 years.

The prediction is that this year is they’re year to re-emerge, so my question is for the “veteran” bonsai keepers.

What do you do (if anything) to protect your trees during the 6 or so weeks they’re active? My area (Northern CT) is predicated to have them in April and that’s the start of spring here. I have full shade in my screened porch, and since sunny weather is so short in the NE i worry that it’ll set back growth to keep them sheltered there for a month longer than normal. But if I bring them into the sun, will the cicadas kill them by eating all the brand new leaves?

Any advice?

 

[Underdog]

Eating the leaves is the least of your worries. They cut a slit in your bark which to lay eggs. This never heals.
from 2016

Creepy 17yr Cicadas everywhere

Nasty lil buggers everywhere. Looking for the DIS-Like button?

www.bonsainut.com

 

[Dav4]

My understanding is that our trees aren't even remotely big enough to draw their attention. I've never had any damage on my potted trees that I know of here on the east coast after a quarter century of annual exposure, so I don't plan on using any different pest control methods other then what I typically employ... and I'm looking forward to sitting out on my screened porch with an adult beverage and listening to the symphony at dusk whenever possible .

 

[Underdog]

I still got scars Dave

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

The problem with cicadas is that they're so mobile that insecticides do their work after they left and kill them on the way out. Just like with grasshoppers.

We only have the tiny spit bugs, not those aligator sized cicadas like you'd encounter in warmer regions. But there's no way of prevention that I know of. Mosquito nets maybe?!

 

[Agianinio]

Thanks for the advice. Im hoping that covers like mosquito nets might do the trick, but we’ll see.

 

[Underdog]

Dang... we're gonna have them again here too.

 

[sorce]

mosquito nets

I don't think I would be too concerned, then again....

I shopped industrialnetting.com in MN for my basket material, they sell anti bird/bug netting that would certainly work.

Sorce

 

[Underdog]

From 2016 had to remove several branches. This was a collected tree not too far along so not a huge deal. Had it been a more valuable tree...

 

[Lutonian]

The problem with cicadas is that they're so mobile that insecticides do their work after they left and kill them on the way out. Just like with grasshoppers.

We only have the tiny spit bugs, not those aligator sized cicadas like you'd encounter in warmer regions. But there's no way of prevention that I know of. Mosquito nets maybe?!

We have Cicada in the U.K 1 species and there very rare and only found in the new forest but they are found in Europe too.

Cicadetta montana - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Cicadas are susceptible to pesticides. They have become significantly less abundant due to wide spread use of lawn care chemicals. Fireflies also have suffered. The lawn chemicals affect the subterranean cicada nymphs, during their long feeding period on tree roots. The chemicals for Japanese beetle grubs and other lawn pests will affect cicadas nymphs. They only hold their own in areas without lawn care chemicals.

Where I am at, it is 2024, brood XIII (brood 13) that emerges across northern Illinois. Brood X, the 2021 brood is mostly in Indiana, and along the eastern edge of Illinois. Might come as far east as Champaign-Urbana, but not the whole state. Brood X is mainly Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware.

So I don't have to worry about the periodical cicada until 2024. Bird netting or shade cloth should keep the females off the bonsai for the 4 weeks of egg laying.

There is a nice map and table explaining which brood appears where and when on wikipedia.

Periodical cicadas - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[cbigger]

We're in the DC area which is supposed to be hit hard. I purchased netting for my trees. My 35 yr old Juniper just got over a beetle infestation that I missed. I almost lost it, so I'm not taking any chances with these guys. I'm keeping all the tropicals in the greenhouse with the screen door zipped, and the deciduous trees will be covered with netting. watering may be tricky, but hopefully the deck where all the trees are will be somewhat protected.

 

[Forsoothe!]

More info on Cicada here. I ordered some netting which ain't cheap, but we are subject to them here this year and 2023 so I guess it's pay up or pay up another way. As stated above the adults don't eat much, they make a lot of noise which attracts a large bunch that assemble on trees and mate, lay eggs in slits and fall to the base of the tree dead. The eggs hatch and they fall to the ground, burrow in for the cycle eating roots, evolving through several Instars and emerge in years following. Spraying trees to kill them doesn't do any good because they don't eat the trees. The key is that they emerge when the ground temp reaches 64°F. They fly up so trees/shrubs that are not up above them are safer than big trees, but what are you willing to risk? Thus, I bought the netting and will drape everything. I am not looking forward to this experience.