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Cicadas?

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loneranger

Well-Known Member
I had damage last few weeks I have not seen before. My dwarf Chinkopin oaks and fruit trees. On the new growth little slits appeared on the underside of the branches, causing many to dies leaves and all. some broke right off. Other branches survive the tearing but turned down. Really hit the oaks bad. I figured it was some kind of borer? I did not spray with borer spray in May like I usually do. I ran out. I can see the damage driving down the highways too on oaks. Dead brown branches on the outsides of the trees. Check it out when you are driving in SE Iowa. I took a branch into Earl May, He said was cicada, damage. I heard they did no damage? He said they deposit their eggs in those slits. The larvae hatch and fall to the ground and burrow down. This sounds screwy to me?? Guess I will try to contact some entomologist from ISU????
 
Most folks probably noticed, it was a different type of cicada this year. Usually they are the "camo" looking ones that come out in late Aug & September. These looked like some hybrid alien miniature version. I used to like em but after doing early season KS hunting around em and those new devils this year, it was fun to blast through them with my lawn mower. Can't stand those things.
 
I know all about the cicadas. The 17 year ones with red eyes. They were plastered all over my trees and woods and you could not here a thing in my yard for two weeks,,,,BUT,, I heard from radio broadcasts that they did not hurt plants or a thing. If they laid eggs in branches , my woods would have no branches left. I don't think the damage to my trees was from them is the point. Just wondering if anyone else noticed this damage. Maybe just my area? I still think is some kind of borer..
 
Went golfing at Indian Hills by Wapello on Father's Day and they were everywhere... still have not had them in my area outside of Muscatine
 
This is also from ISU.

Eggs are laid into the small twigs of trees and shrubs. This causes moderate twig dieback and some disfigurement ("flagging") of forest and woodland trees, but no longterm consequences.
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Not sure if that answers your question or not
 
I guess what I heard on WHO radio was wrong then?
They do cause damage! More than mild disfigurement! Destroyed a lot of my new growth. I knew they looked wicked for a reason!!
 
loneranger said:
I guess what I heard on WHO radio was wrong then?
They do cause damage! More than mild disfigurement! Destroyed a lot of my new growth. I knew they looked wicked for a reason!!
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They absolutely were wrong. The little bastards were extremely destructive to our young oaks, chestnuts, apple and pear trees. All the damage needs to be pruned back now. Its not over either, now when the eggs hatch I'm worried that the grubs will feed on the roots.
 
Rutcon said:
They absolutely were wrong. The little bastards were extremely destructive to our young oaks, chestnuts, apple and pear trees. All the damage needs to be pruned back now. Its not over either, now when the eggs hatch I'm worried that the grubs will feed on the roots.
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not sure on this one but if you keep up with your general fruit tree spray, it could help, has a lot of things (like permythrin) that stick around and kill bugs. There's also an all season oil that could aid in that. Of course you have your dormant tree oils. Grubs all over in the soil anyways but your valued trees- it won't hurt to take some extra time & precaution this year.
 
If it were my choice to make (and I know its not) I wouldn't kill them. From a conservationist stand point they may provide more benefit than harm.
Their reemergence and subsequent burrowing will do more for soil aeration than we could on our best day. Who knows what other beneficial insects they attract just by being here.
I think if they were really that destructive to vegetation, there would already be word about how to deal with them.

Earlier we had a discussion about the environmental side effects of pesticides and pheasants. I don't think cicadas will bring back that bird. But I do know if a tree is stressed, it produces more seeds. What if these insects feeding on roots causes oaks to create bumper crops of acorns for deer? Or what if their burrowing releases the seeds of some other flood buried plant that turkey like to eat?

All I'm saying is before you try to kill them indiscriminately, think about how that may affect the environment in your area. What else might you kill in trying to wipe out the cicadas?
 
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The bugs are all gone now but you are right, the grubs feed on roots. You can buy a ground killing grub spray and treat the soil around your trees. They can be beneficial to the land away from my trees. Good info. I knew anything that looked that ugly and came on in plague porportions had to be bad,,,Evil in fact! I am treating my ground!
 
I'll skip treating my ground, the cicadas did a number to my young oaks. They will survive and flourish for another 17 years before that hatch shows back up again. The bounty cicadas provide when they do emerge in incredible.

We would not have any oaks left if they did so much damage to the roots in between emergence each time IMO.

Fish go crazy over those things, taught my son a thing or two while picking them up off the grass for bait. Took about 2 seconds to get a bite with the cicadas :D
 
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