BOB THE BUGMAN Expert Pest Control Advice, Identification and Information Cicadas

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Male cicadas have loud noisemakers called "timbals" on the sides of the abdominal base. Their "singing" is not the stridulation (where two structures are rubbed against one another) of many other familiar sound-producing insects like crickets: the timbals are regions of the exoskeleton that are modified to form a complex membrane with thin, membranous portions and thickened "ribs". Contracting the internal timbal muscles yields a pulse of sound as the timbals buckle inwards. As these muscles relax, the timbals return to their original position. The interior of the male abdomen is substantially hollow to amplify the resonance of the sound. A cicada rapidly vibrates these membranes, and enlarged chambers derived from the tracheae make its body serve as a resonance chamber, greatly amplifying the sound. They modulate their noise by wiggling their abdomens toward and away from the tree that they are on. Additionally, each species has its own distinctive song.

In addition to the mating song, many species also have a distinct distress call, usually a somewhat broken and erratic sound emitted when an individual is seized. A number of species also have a courtship song, which is often a quieter call and is produced after a female has been drawn by the calling song.

Facts About Cicadas

Cicadas do not bite or sting, are benign to humans, and are not considered a pest. Many people around the world regularly eat cicadas: the female is prized as it is meatier. Cicadas have been (or are still) eaten in Ancient Greece, China, Malaysia, Burma, Australia, Latin America and the Congo. Cicadas are employed in the traditional medicines of China

Cicadas are arranged into two families: Tettigarctidae (q.v.) and Cicadidae. There are two extant species of Tettigarctidae, one in southern Australia, and the other in Tasmania. The family Cicadidae is subdivided into the subfamilies Tettigadinae, Cicadinae and Cicadettinae, and they occur on all continents except Antarctica.

The largest cicadas are in the genera Pomponia and Tacua. There are some 200 species in 38 genera in Australia, about 450 in Africa, about 100 in the Palaearctic and exactly one species in England, the New Forest cicada, Melampsalta montana, widely distributed throughout Europe. There are about 150 species in South Africa.

Most of the North American species are in the genus Tibicen - the annual or dog-day cicadas (so named because they emerge in late July and August) The best-known North American genus is Magicicada, however. These periodical cicadas have an extremely long life cycle of 13 to 17 years and emerge in large numbers. Another American species is the Apache cicada, Diceroprocta apache.

Tips for controlling Cicadas

Cicadas are a problem for two main reasons: 1) Their sound and 2) the damage they do to trees and shrubs. There are many treatment options available for both keeping them away as well as killing off existing populations. First, determine what it is you are trying to accomplish regarding your local problem. Next, choose one of the treatment options listed below for the type of problem you want to treat.

If you have cicadas which are active on your property, there are several treatments available to either repel or kill the population. The one you choose should be based on the size and type of plant you want to treat. Liquid applications will prove the easiest to employ; dusting will provide better control though not practical for large trees or shrubs.

The strongest treatment is a combination of BIFEN and SPREADER STICKER. The Bifen will both kill and repel cicadas. Its odorless, won't hurt any plant and will provide 2-4 weeks of residual. Add the Spreader Sticker to the mix to insure you get good coverage on the plant. Spreader Sticker doesn't kill anything by itself; Spreader Sticker is basically an agent which allows the Bifen to coat all the plant surfaces like the leaves, limbs and trunk. Try to treat as much of the plant as possible using one of our SPRAYERS. Though male cicadas will land on just about any plant, females ready to lay eggs tend to target plants which will be best suited to become a food supply. By treating these plants before the females start laying eggs, you will be able to keep them away thus avoiding any tree damage. Treating as many of your plants will also repel cicadas so they don't forage onto your property which in turn will lead to less noise from them. Though treatments won't last forever, spraying as many trees and shrubs cicadas are targeting will help to keep them away and kill off those who choose to stay.

If adult cicadas are targeting your vegetable or fruit garden in search of sap, use some PERMETHRIN which is safe enough to be applied to these food yielding plants. Permethrin won't last as long as the Bifen; treatments will only last 1-2 weeks. However, it does come in a container that is ready to spray. Just hook it to your hose, turn the water on and you are ready to spray. Its a good material for small plants or when you only have a small area to treat.

Another treatment option is the use of dust instead of a liquid. Dusts will last as long as it doesn't rain which makes it a good choice for areas which are dry or in a drought. DELTA DUST can be applied to just about any plant and will yield 1-2 months of residual as long as it doesn't rain. If you are treating vegetable or fruit yielding plants, apply some PERMETHRIN DUST instead. Like the Permethrin Liquid, its safe enough for any edible plant but it won't last as long as the Delta Dust. Expect to retreat once every 2-4 weeks unless it rains. The use of a HAND DUSTER will probably do the job for most small plants; if you have a lot of plants you need to treat, the DUSTIN MIZER will be suited for the application.

The last type of "quick kill" control option is designed for those people who just can't stand cicada's and want them dead immediately. The use of some HORNET KILLER will take them out on contact. It can reach up to 15 feet and is good for use around the home and yard. Don't use it inside; it will make a mess.

TREATMENTS FOR KEEPING LARVA FROM KILLING TREES

The liquid or dust treatments detailed above will keep adults off desirable host plants. This will help keep plant damage minimized and by keeping adults off local plants, cicada noise will be reduced. Remember, egg laying females cause damage every time they pierce host plants and though old established trees can withstand this activity, young plants will suffer. Furthermore, cicada larva can kill a tree once they establish themselves in the roots. To prevent this from happening, treating the ground directly under the tree is suggested.

If you only have a few trees on your property and want to insure they don't get infested, treat all of them. If you have too many trees to use this approach, spend some time observing local cicadas and try to identify any trees which are being targeted by them. If cicadas like a certain tree for food or egg laying, you will see them landing on it from time to time. Additionally, if you have found a tree with a lot of brown "skin sheds", it's obvious larva like the tree and have only recently left. Such plants will be prime targets for the current seasons eggs since females tend to pick trees that have proven to be good hosts in the past. If you want to minimize the chance any larva have of making down into the soil and to the roots of your trees, treat the ground directly underneath them. Apply BIFEN GRANULES under the drip line of the tree or shrubs needing protection. They should be renewed every 2 months during the season. Use a GRANULE SPREADER to insure you get good coverage. Since females can start laying eggs within one month of when the season starts, its best to start treatments early in the summer. Most cicadas will live from May through October so be prepared to make at least 3 treatments. In warm regions, 4 or 5 may be needed and this will also apply to cold areas which stay unusually mild into the fall. Remember, eggs will be hatching long after adult females have died so just because the adult cicadas are gone, it does not mean larva won't be active and abundant. The application will keep a residual in the soil so that hatching larva falling off the tree or shrub will die when they try to borrow underground. Larva are easy to kill and the Bifen will effectively intercept them before they can get established.

If you have any trees or shrubs which have been or are currently serving as a host for cicada larva, its a good idea to treat them with the Bifen Granules too. Feeding larva are essentially eating the life's blood of your plants and this is not good. Monitor any plants general health making sure to give it some extra food and water should it appear to be affected by the infesting cicadas. The use of some STRESS DETECTION GLASSES can help you identify when any plant is feeling the stress of parasites such as cicada larva. Use some LIQUID FERTILIZER applied to the ground within the drip line of the plant to help nurture it. Liquid Fertilizer can also be used to root feed any plant which is like giving an IV to a patient. The liquid form of this fertilizer allows it to be immediately "digested" by the tree or shrub compared to other slow release type nitrogen commonly used in the landscape. This is important as any plants showing stress needs relief quickly. A little food and water will help the host plant from feeding larva; be sure to keep it well fed, watered and protected from further larva or other parasitic insects.

Cicadas are a sure sign summer has arrived. Their mating call will be heard throughout the day and will be loud enough to keep you from sleeping late. More importantly, females can damage host trees with their egg laying. Their piercing ovipositor can cause host plants to loose valuable sap and other fluids. Treat susceptible plants to keep cicadas away. For plants which are showing signs of hosting cicada larva, apply some granules around their base. These granules will kill hatching larva as they fall to the ground and try to borrow beneath the surface in search of plant roots. Intercepting the larva before they get established will help keep your plants healthy and happy. Keep some Hornet Freeze close by for any cicadas you want to kill off quickly. Though adult cicadas are only around for a few months during the summer, cicada larva will be feeding on host plants for several years. Don't give them a chance to get established; treat local plants to help keep local populations in check.