Periodic Cicadas Emerging

[Carol 83]

Weird. I have yet to see (or hear) a single cicada...

You can hear them here driving with the windows up.

 

[bonsaiboy60077]

Haven't found too many just north of Chicago yet. my dog likes them for a snack and is always out hunting for them and has only had one snack so far.

 

[TimIAm]

Its flagging from them laying eggs. They seem to have a preference for japanese maple branches

TIL - Just had a read of the wikipedia article. Did not know cicadas feed on sap and lay eggs in twigs.

 

[Stormwater]

cover any with cheap netting. I left mine out in the mid Atlantic big brood a couple of years ago. Still have visible scars on some branches. Lost a couple of branches too

 

[Piedmont Bonsai]

Per google, Sevin is effective against cicadas. I have sprayed twice this month with Sevin ready to use and it seemed to have worked, but we have had a very rainy month so not sure if it washed away. The damage isnt too bad and i think it will heal over but its an annoying problem that i need to find a solution for.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

Left for a week for my brothers wedding. Had the mother in law water while away. Applied granular systemic weeks ago and sprayed right before the trip. Still happened. Not on all but definitely a quite a few. Most on areas were going to be sacrifice branches. But some not so much… anyway. I understand that this is where they lay their eggs. What is the best method for removal/ can I kill the eggs?

 

[Kanorin]

View attachment 602007Left for a week for my brothers wedding. Had the mother in law water while away. Applied granular systemic weeks ago and sprayed right before the trip. Still happened. Not on all but definitely a quite a few. Most on areas were going to be sacrifice branches. But some not so much… anyway. I understand that this is where they lay their eggs. What is the best method for removal/ can I kill the eggs?

That's cicada damage alright. The systemic should help kill the larva. I think after a few weeks the larva fall from the scars down into the soil below and then they feed on the roots for X years. You can try soaking a q-tip in 70+% alcohol (isopropanol is my favorite) and dab each of those egg injection sites. Might get a few that way now, kill the rest with the systemics.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

They tore through my growing bed here and topped all my trident maples and chinese quince. They needed topping anyway so the cicadas just forced me to get out and do what needed doing!

 

[rockm]

Been through emergences of two different broods over the last couples of decades. Never had an issue with damage on my larger trees or small trees.

As for poisoning larva -why? Unless you have a hugely massed larval inundation into your bonsai pots and don’t repot for 17 years, Larva aren’t an issue worth worrying about. Even if a few set up shop in the soil you will remove them when you root prune

 

[Paradox]

Never had a problem with them here.
Too early here for them to be out yet. Next month at the earliest usually