MIAMI VALLEY — In less than two weeks, the Miami Valley will witness a cicada season 17 years in the making. Millions, if not billions, of cicadas will emerge from underground and make themselves at home in and around homes across the Miami Valley.
Brood X, a population of periodical cicadas made up of three species, will be on display soon, but Ohio will not be the only state seeing the abnormal number of insect. Tom Macy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry says that states like Pennsylvania and Maryland, as well as Washington D.C., will also bare witness to Brood X.
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Macy said that some residents across the state have already started to see small emergence holes that the cicadas have pushed up in preparation of their arrival.
While they may not be an attractive insect, Macy said they are not dangerous.
“They are harmless and they’re not aggressive. They won’t sting or bite people or pets,” Macy said.
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Macy also said that the cicadas are non-toxic and safe for pets to eat.
As for plants, Macy said that established trees and shrubs should not be affected by the cicadas.
Newly planted trees and shrubs may be in dangers due to a special appendage the cicadas use to lay eggs.
“They have a special saw-like appendage they use to cut slits into the branches of trees and shrubs and lay eggs in there, and that can kill the twig,” Macy said.
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Michael Bellanca, manager of Siebenthaler’s Garden Center, said any damage done will be minor.
If you have a newly planted tree or shrub, Macy and Bellanca suggest putting netting around it to prevent cicada damage. He said waiting to plant until after the insects are gone is the safest bet to keep any new trees or shrubs from safe from damage.
That wait will not be extremely long. Based on their life cycle, Brood X are expected to last through June, before dying off in early July.
As for what to do while they are here, Macy said the best course of action is to leave the cicadas where they are. That will allow them to be picked off as a source of food for other species in the environment, such as birds.
Cox Media Group
