Community Corner

Bracing For Brood II? Here's What The Experts Have To Say ...

"Sit back, watch the spectacle, and it will be over before you know it." The Magicicada, a periodical cicada, is due to emerge from the ground after 17 years, sometime this spring. Parts of central Connecticut and the shoreline may be affected.

Article written and reported by Madison Local Editor Pem McNerney. 

Have you heard about Brood II?

At first, it sounds like something out of a horror film. Millions of small beings with red eyes, shiny black bodies, and mouthparts that pierce and suck, emerge from the ground after 17 years, with a voracious appetite. 

But, no worries, say the experts.

While the Magicicada, a periodical cicada indigenous to eastern North America, may prove to be a pest, and a problem for trees, they are no threat to humans. They are mainly just looking for love. After finding that special someone, the cicadas will mate, the eggs will be laid and the adults will die off. And the little ones will start their 17-year period of growth.

The main challenge for affected areas of Connecticut will be figuring out how to protect trees and plants, and how to clean up after the critters die off. 

It's not exactly clear what part of Connecticut will be affected and when, but research scientist and cicada expert John R. Cooley with the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at The University of Connecticut, says the data suggests the cicadas in Connecticut may emerge from the traprock ridges in the central part of the state, as well as along the coast.

"Dates are always iffy, especially with this strange dry spring, but my guess would be late May at the earliest, and on into June.  The trees must be fully leafed out," Cooley said. 

Cooley said those who are interested can track the progress of the emergence on www.magicicada.org

"We are encouraging people to report their sightings to the website as well," he said. 

Once they hit, it could get messy if there are a lot of them. And it's true the cicadas like to munch on trees. But, according to www.magicicada.org, there are ways to manage this as well: 

"Periodical cicadas may cause physical damage to small trees or shrubs if too many feed from the plant or lay eggs in its twigs; such damage can cause "flagging," or breaking of peripheral twigs. When these twigs die, they become brown. Orchard and nursery owners should avoid planting young trees or shrubs in the years preceding an emergence of periodical cicadas, because young trees may be harmed by severe flagging. Mature trees and shrubs, however, usually survive even dense emergences of cicadas without apparent distress. This can be difficult to believe in the month or so following a large emergence when many deciduous trees turn brown due to the breakage and death of peripheral twigs. As serious as it may appear, such damage is apparently minor."

Cooley said homeowners should resist the urge to blast any cicada emergence with pesticide. 

"The bottom line is, don't worry about them, they don't really do any harm, and don't try to spray them-- you will do more harm than good.  If you have delicate  plants (fruit trees, ornamentals, etc.), then your best strategy is to wrap them with avian netting (sold at nursery supply houses)," he said via email. "Attempting to kill them is a bad idea-- they are a natural part of the forest ecosystem, and anyway, you would have to use so much pesticide that you would almost certainly do more harm than good.  Sit back, watch the spectacle, and it will be over before you know it." 

Here are some interesting cicada facts from cicadamania.com

  • Once they emerge, you should use your power tools with caution. "Cicadas think the sounds made by power tools and lawn maintenance equipment are made by cicadas. They get confused and will land on the people using the equipment!" Ewww ... 
  • They are loud. "Males have organs on their abdomen called tymbals. Muscles pop the tymbals in and out, which creates the sound we hear." 
  • Animals eat them. "Dogs will gorge themselves until they choke. Squirrels will eat them like corn on the cob. Wild turkeys will grow fat and juicy on the cicada feast. Fish go crazy for them too — you can use them as bait, or use lures that mimic them."
  • People, some people, eat them too. "You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it." If you have a shellfish allergy, you shouldn't eat them. And, even if you don't, eat with caution. Make sure you don't choke on the hard bodies and rigid wings. A Cicada Cookbook is included as a PDF with this article. If the download does not work, you can use this link.
Got any good cicada recipes? Let us know in the comment section below.


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