In this Family Handyman article, Dan Herms, vice president of research and development at the Davey Institute shares information about this year's cicada emergence.
It’s easy to wince thinking about the mass emergence of insects like cicadas. Their numbers can reach millions per acre, creating a near-deafening buzzing chorus. So it’s understandable that questions like, “Will Cicadas eat my plants?” immediately spring to mind. But cicadas are also pretty fascinating and play important roles in the ecosystem.
“Cicadas inspire wonder in our world!” says Jennifer Hopwood, Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “They spend most of their life underground next to the same plant roots. Somehow, these creatures are able to track the years that pass by and time their emergence with other periodical cicadas in the region to overwhelm predators. They are amazing little critters.”
Here’s a rundown of what to know about cicadas, good and bad, including whether or not they eat plants and how to protect your trees during an emergence.
To read about Dan's information, click here.
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