The Cicadas Are Coming? Are You Ready to Block Them?

Millions of cicada bugs are expected to “explode” from the soil this spring. They’ve been patiently waiting for 17 years.  And when they emerge, they’ll head straight for your favorite plants and fruit trees.

The devastating insects are among 15 “broods” of periodical cicadas that show up every 17 years or so. When they work they way out of the ground—after sucking the fluids from your tree roots—they’ll cut slits into your tree’s branches to lay their eggs. The bugs are pretty easy to spot. They have orange legs, red eyes and clear wings. Expect them to pop out at night when the ground temperature rises to 64 degrees. If you’re not ready for them—1/4-inch mesh bird netting blocks cicadas nicely—you can say good-bye to your young saplings and plants. Cicadas are particularly fond of trees that have branches that are 1/4- to ½-inch in diameter. These are preferred by egg-laying cicada females.

Few trees and plants are safe from cicadas

Think your trees and plants are safe. Think again. Cicadas will swarm over a wide range of trees, including maple, oak, hickory, beech, ash, dogwood, hawthorn, magnolia, willow, apple, peach, cherry and pear. Cicadas will also attack your favorite flowers, vines and shrubs. Rose of Sharon, rose, raspberry, grape, black-eyed Susan, hollies, spirea, rhododendron, viburnum, junipers, and arborvitae—all are vulnerable to attack by these noisy little bugs. In fact, they can pretty much wipe out an entire garden or grove in just a matter of days.  All the more reason to be pro-active with an effective cicada deterrent.

Block them out with Bird-B-Gone 1/4" plastic netting

What you need to protect your trees and plants is a barrier deterrent that has been proven effective in gardens, yards and orchards nationwide. A bug deterrent that doesn’t depend on spraying toxic chemicals on your plants and trees, chemicals that maybe harmful to your pets and children. It’s called 1/4" Plastic Netting. Easy to handle and install, Bird-B-Gone 1/4" Garden Netting protects your prized plants and saplings by denying access to them. The netting comes in 14 x 100-foot and 14 x 200-foot rolls and can be easily cut to the size you need to cover your small trees, plants or shrubs. Netting clips are available to ensure the netting remains in place during windy or rainy periods. Manufactured from a durable, UV-protected polypropylene, this high quality netting is made to last in harsh outdoor climes. For best protective results, wrap the netting over your saplings, plants and trees when the cicadas fist begin to buzz. Tie the netting to the stem or trunk under the lower branches to protect them. Once the cicadas leave (stop buzzing), you can usually take the netting down. Or you can keep the netting in place to protect your plants and ripening fruit from pest birds.

For additional advice on how to keep cicadas away from your plants and trees, consult an expert like the folks at Absolute Bird Control.