How to Get Rid of Cicadas: A Comprehensive Guide

Have you ever been serenaded by an ear-splitting chorus of buzzing insects, only to realize your trees are covered in alien-looking exoskeletons? That’s the work of cicadas, and while they’re a fascinating part of the natural world, their sheer numbers can be overwhelming, and their egg-laying habits can damage young trees. For homeowners, managing cicada populations is essential for protecting valuable landscaping and ensuring the health of their beloved plants.

Beyond the annoyance factor, cicadas can inflict real damage, particularly on young trees. Female cicadas lay their eggs in small branches, creating slits that can weaken and even kill those branches. In a heavy infestation, this can stunt the growth of saplings and ornamental trees. Understanding effective methods for mitigating cicada damage is crucial for preserving the beauty and longevity of your property’s greenery. Prevention and control are key to protecting your investment in your landscape.

What are the most common questions about cicada control?

What are the most effective methods to get rid of cicadas in my yard?

Unfortunately, completely eliminating cicadas from your yard is extremely difficult and often not feasible, given their sheer numbers during emergence years. The most effective methods focus on protecting vulnerable young trees and shrubs with netting, managing egg-laying damage through pruning and plant covers, and tolerating the cicadas while focusing on the long-term health of your landscape.

While wholesale removal isn’t practical, you can minimize damage to your yard by taking preventative steps. The most common damage comes from female cicadas laying their eggs in young tree branches. This can weaken or even kill young trees. Draping fine mesh netting (1/4-inch mesh or smaller) over susceptible trees and shrubs *before* the cicadas emerge is highly effective. Ensure the netting reaches the ground or is secured tightly around the trunk to prevent cicadas from crawling underneath. After the cicada season ends, inspect your trees for signs of egg-laying – small slits in branches. Prune away damaged branches to improve the tree’s health and appearance. While insecticides are available, they are generally not recommended. They can be harmful to beneficial insects and wildlife and are often ineffective against the massive number of cicadas present during an emergence. Focus on protecting your vulnerable plants and tolerating the cicadas. The emergence is temporary, and the ecosystem benefits provided by cicadas (aerating the soil, providing food for wildlife) are significant.

Will pesticides harm my pets or garden if I use them to control cicadas?

Yes, pesticides used to control cicadas can potentially harm your pets and garden. While cicadas themselves pose minimal direct threat to pets and established plants, the broad-spectrum insecticides often employed against them can negatively impact beneficial insects like pollinators, as well as potentially poisoning pets who ingest treated vegetation or come into direct contact with the chemicals. The extent of the harm depends on the specific pesticide used, the application method, and the level of exposure.

While some insecticides are marketed as “safe,” all pesticides carry some degree of risk. Systemic insecticides, which are absorbed by plants, can persist within the plant tissue for an extended period, posing a longer-term risk. Contact insecticides, while potentially less persistent, can still harm beneficial insects that come into contact with treated surfaces. Pets, especially dogs and cats, may ingest treated grass or foliage while grazing or playing in the yard, leading to poisoning. Symptoms of pesticide poisoning in pets can include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, muscle tremors, and seizures. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully consider the potential risks and benefits before using pesticides for cicada control. If you choose to use them, select the least toxic option available and strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding application rates, timing, and safety precautions. Consider alternative, less harmful methods of cicada control, such as protecting vulnerable young trees with netting, using strong jets of water to dislodge cicadas, or simply tolerating the temporary presence of these insects. Always store pesticides securely out of reach of children and pets.

How do I protect young trees from cicada damage?

The most effective way to protect young trees from cicada damage is by physically excluding them with netting or mesh. Covering susceptible trees before the cicadas emerge prevents them from laying eggs in the branches, which is what causes the most significant damage to young trees.

Cicada damage primarily occurs when female cicadas lay their eggs in small branches. They use their ovipositors to slice into the branches, creating slits where they deposit their eggs. This weakens the branches, leading to “flagging” (the browning and breaking of branch tips) and can severely stunt the growth of young or vulnerable trees. Netting provides a physical barrier, preventing the cicadas from accessing the branches to lay their eggs. Choose a mesh size of 1/4 inch or smaller to ensure cicadas cannot penetrate it. Secure the netting tightly around the trunk and branches, ensuring there are no openings. Protecting young trees is especially crucial because they are more susceptible to significant damage than established trees. Repeated cicada emergences can severely impact their growth, potentially leading to deformities or even death in extreme cases. While mature trees can usually withstand the egg-laying damage with minimal long-term effects, young trees lack the resources to recover quickly. Focus your protection efforts on trees that are newly planted, less than 4 years old, or have branches that are less than 1/2 inch in diameter, as these are the most vulnerable. Monitor your trees regularly for signs of cicada activity, even with netting in place, to address any breaches promptly.

Are there any natural predators that help control the cicada population?

Yes, cicada populations are kept partially in check by a variety of natural predators, although their impact is often limited due to the sheer number of cicadas that emerge simultaneously. These predators consume cicadas in their nymph and adult stages, helping to reduce overall numbers.

Many animals consider cicadas a tasty meal, especially during their mass emergences. Birds are perhaps the most visible and effective predators, with robins, blue jays, grackles, and crows among the species known to feast on cicadas. Squirrels and other small mammals also prey on cicadas, particularly those that have recently emerged and are still vulnerable. Even reptiles and amphibians, like snakes and frogs, contribute to cicada predation. Beyond vertebrates, a variety of insects and arachnids also prey on cicadas. Wasps, especially cicada killer wasps, are formidable predators, paralyzing cicadas and carrying them back to their nests to feed their larvae. Praying mantises and spiders also consume cicadas when they can catch them. Fungal pathogens, such as *Massospora cicadina*, can also decimate cicada populations by infecting and essentially turning them into zombie-like creatures that spread the fungus further. While these natural controls exist, they are often insufficient to significantly reduce the overall cicada population during large emergences due to the overwhelming numbers of cicadas present.

What can I do to prevent cicadas from returning next year?

Unfortunately, completely preventing the return of cicadas the following year is virtually impossible, especially for periodical cicadas. Their emergence is tied to multi-year cycles, and affecting the entire population across a wide area is not feasible. However, you can take steps to minimize their impact on your young trees and shrubs and reduce localized nuisance.

While you can’t stop cicadas from emerging, protecting vulnerable plants, especially young trees, is key. This primarily involves physical barriers during the emergence period. Netting with a mesh size small enough to exclude cicadas (around 1/4 inch) is very effective. Wrap the canopies of susceptible plants securely before the cicadas emerge and leave it in place until they are gone. Remove the netting carefully to avoid trapping cicadas. Avoid using insecticides as a preventative measure, as they are generally ineffective against large cicada populations and can harm beneficial insects. Systemic insecticides, which are absorbed by the plant, may kill cicadas that feed on the plant, but their use is controversial due to potential unintended consequences for other wildlife. Focusing on creating a healthy and diverse garden ecosystem can also indirectly help manage cicada populations over the long term. Healthy trees are generally more resilient to cicada damage. Encourage natural predators, such as birds, by providing them with habitat and food sources. Avoid disturbing the soil excessively, as cicadas spend most of their lives underground as nymphs. Remember, cicadas are a natural part of the ecosystem, and while their emergence can be noisy and sometimes damaging, it is a temporary phenomenon.

Do noise deterrents actually work to repel cicadas?

The consensus among entomologists and pest control experts is that noise deterrents are generally ineffective in repelling cicadas. While cicadas are sensitive to vibrations and sounds, particularly during mating, commercially available noise-based deterrents have not been proven to consistently disrupt their behavior or drive them away from an area.

Several factors contribute to the ineffectiveness of noise deterrents. First, cicadas emerge in such large numbers that even if a noise device were to deter some individuals, the sheer volume of the population would likely overwhelm any perceived effect. Second, cicadas quickly habituate to new and consistent sounds. A noise that initially startles them may soon become part of the background noise, rendering it useless. Furthermore, the noises produced by these devices often fall within the range of other environmental sounds, such as lawnmowers or traffic, and may not be significantly disruptive to cicada mating calls or other behaviors.

Instead of relying on noise deterrents, a more practical approach to managing cicadas involves physical barriers, netting, or insecticides for targeted applications. These methods, while requiring more effort, offer a higher degree of success in protecting vulnerable plants and structures from cicada damage. Ultimately, understanding cicada biology and life cycle is key to developing effective management strategies.

Is there a way to get rid of cicada nymphs before they emerge?

Getting rid of cicada nymphs before they emerge is extremely difficult and often impractical on a large scale. Because they live underground for years, reaching them requires treating the soil extensively, which can be damaging to your plants, beneficial insects, and the soil ecosystem. There are no truly effective or environmentally sound methods for widespread nymph eradication.

While eliminating cicada nymphs entirely isn’t feasible, there are some limited actions you can take if you have a small, defined area of concern. Soil treatments with insecticides labeled for subsurface insects might offer some control, but they are generally not recommended due to their potential harm to non-target organisms. Furthermore, the sheer volume of nymphs and their deep burrowing make achieving any significant reduction challenging. Systemic insecticides applied to the plants the nymphs feed on could theoretically impact nymph populations, but again, these come with environmental risks and are generally not advised. The best approach is to focus on protecting vulnerable young trees and shrubs during the emergence period with netting. Accept that some damage is inevitable, and healthy, established trees will generally recover. Avoid widespread insecticide use, which will do more harm than good in the long run. Focus on promoting healthy soil and a diverse ecosystem, which can help mitigate the impact of cicada emergences naturally over time.

Well, there you have it! Hopefully, these tips will help you manage those noisy cicadas and enjoy a little peace and quiet this summer. Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back soon for more helpful advice around the house and garden!