05-08-2008, 11:10 AM
*ODNR advises homeowners on how to protect trees and shrubs from noisy invaders*
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COLUMBUS, OH - After 17 years of quiet, cicadas will soon emerge in several southwestern Ohio counties, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry.
Noted for the distinctive, often annoying hum of their mating call, cicadas can also damage trees and ornamental shrubs in heavily infested areas.
"While cicadas are harmless to humans, the 1.5-inch winged insects can damage deciduous trees - primarily oak, apple, dogwood, and hickory - as well as newly planted ornamentals," said David Lytle, chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry.
Three species of periodical cicadas (genus Magicicada) will emerge in large numbers in Adams, Brown, Clermont, Hamilton, Highland, Lawrence, Ross and Scioto counties this spring. While smaller numbers will appear in Butler, Champaign, Clinton, Gallia, Greene, Jackson, Pike and Warren counties.
Cicadas from this "brood" - referred to as Brood XIV by entomologists - will also emerge in parts of Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia. This population of cicadas was last seen in 1991.
Although the "roar" associated with cicadas is produced by a chorus of mate-hunting males, it is the females that damage trees and shrubs. Each female emerges from the ground to lay hundreds of eggs in inch-long slits she cuts in pencil-sized tree branches. These slits can weaken young or otherwise susceptible trees, killing off the affected branches or leaving openings for disease.
To help reduce cicada damage, ODNR foresters recommend the following:
· Homeowners in affected areas should not prune trees this spring. Instead, damaged twigs should be pruned later in the summer, after the cicada invasion has run its course.
· Most tree damage can be avoided by delaying new plantings of woody ornamentals and trees until fall or spring of 2009.
· A covering of cheesecloth or finely woven netting can protect small shade and ornamental trees by physically preventing females from laying eggs in the twigs.
· Trees too large to cover may be sprayed with a contact insecticide. Chemical control is difficult during the peak of the cicada's egg-laying season because of the large number of cicadas present and the height of many of the tree branches where they lay eggs. Spraying trees that are in flower is not recommended because the insecticide can also harm the honeybees that are beneficial. Homeowners should follow all labeling carefully or contact their local OSU extension office or an entomologist for specific advice on using insecticides.
For Further Information Contact:
Dan Balser, ODNR Division of Forestry
(614) 265-7053
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations<br />
(614) 265-6860
For additional news online, check out the <a href=http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XZclwVfBI2A_fZNRJx3cFwhh1_E6_-ODtcU-mu304c6yYGJq1sPQmoAFkb8aVc0tT7qV6Vl6h5DtxtDPQqZ7wqtVz_o9YBXOmjvImhzc1_eX50iVERAkjI-_UaAvcue92wiRMDddRerddl6gF6KavU2z5-krsBI6> ODNR Press Room</a><br />
at <a href=http://www.Ohiodnr.com>Ohiodnr.com</a>
* *
COLUMBUS, OH - After 17 years of quiet, cicadas will soon emerge in several southwestern Ohio counties, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry.
Noted for the distinctive, often annoying hum of their mating call, cicadas can also damage trees and ornamental shrubs in heavily infested areas.
"While cicadas are harmless to humans, the 1.5-inch winged insects can damage deciduous trees - primarily oak, apple, dogwood, and hickory - as well as newly planted ornamentals," said David Lytle, chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry.
Three species of periodical cicadas (genus Magicicada) will emerge in large numbers in Adams, Brown, Clermont, Hamilton, Highland, Lawrence, Ross and Scioto counties this spring. While smaller numbers will appear in Butler, Champaign, Clinton, Gallia, Greene, Jackson, Pike and Warren counties.
Cicadas from this "brood" - referred to as Brood XIV by entomologists - will also emerge in parts of Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia. This population of cicadas was last seen in 1991.
Although the "roar" associated with cicadas is produced by a chorus of mate-hunting males, it is the females that damage trees and shrubs. Each female emerges from the ground to lay hundreds of eggs in inch-long slits she cuts in pencil-sized tree branches. These slits can weaken young or otherwise susceptible trees, killing off the affected branches or leaving openings for disease.
To help reduce cicada damage, ODNR foresters recommend the following:
· Homeowners in affected areas should not prune trees this spring. Instead, damaged twigs should be pruned later in the summer, after the cicada invasion has run its course.
· Most tree damage can be avoided by delaying new plantings of woody ornamentals and trees until fall or spring of 2009.
· A covering of cheesecloth or finely woven netting can protect small shade and ornamental trees by physically preventing females from laying eggs in the twigs.
· Trees too large to cover may be sprayed with a contact insecticide. Chemical control is difficult during the peak of the cicada's egg-laying season because of the large number of cicadas present and the height of many of the tree branches where they lay eggs. Spraying trees that are in flower is not recommended because the insecticide can also harm the honeybees that are beneficial. Homeowners should follow all labeling carefully or contact their local OSU extension office or an entomologist for specific advice on using insecticides.
For Further Information Contact:
Dan Balser, ODNR Division of Forestry
(614) 265-7053
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations<br />
(614) 265-6860
For additional news online, check out the <a href=http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XZclwVfBI2A_fZNRJx3cFwhh1_E6_-ODtcU-mu304c6yYGJq1sPQmoAFkb8aVc0tT7qV6Vl6h5DtxtDPQqZ7wqtVz_o9YBXOmjvImhzc1_eX50iVERAkjI-_UaAvcue92wiRMDddRerddl6gF6KavU2z5-krsBI6> ODNR Press Room</a><br />
at <a href=http://www.Ohiodnr.com>Ohiodnr.com</a>