CICADA  CONTROL

    This article is about CICADA control.
It will explain why they are a pest and what
needs to be done for controlling infestations.
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   Cicada's are large insects that appear in late
spring/early summer and make a lot of noise. They
can fly and will infest residential neighborhoods
for a few months every summer. Though they don't
sting, most people are afraid of them. Their large
size seems to scare people and when one is seen, it
usually gets a lot a attention. Cicadas are not
attractive. They have an almost alien look with
bulging eyes and a hard, shell like skin. Large and
long clear wings don't hide their short, stubby
body. These insects are only active for a short
time each year but when present, you know they 
are here!!!
   Cicada's are 2 1/2" to 3" long and easy to see.
When active, they will fly from tree to tree in
search of a mate and food. Adult cicada's eat
mostly sap. Once females have mated and want to
lay eggs, they seek out small branches of trees
and shrubs for egg laying. The plants targeted
will become food for their young. They will fly 
from tree to tree, living their complete adulthood 
in just a few months. When they are spent and die
off as summer progresses, adult cicadas will be
seen on the ground being preyed upon by birds
and other insects.
   Cicadas are grouped into two main species; 
Dog Day and Periodical. Dog Day Cicadas are mostly 
green and black. There are many sub species of Dog
Day Cicadas throughout the United States. These
are the more common of the two species and appear
annually throughout the United States. They seem
to fully mature in 2-5 years and at least 15 sub
species have been identified. Periodic Cicadas are
mostly black with red eyes. There are at least
5 sub species of Periodic Cicadas and they don't
seem to be as active from year to year as the
Dog Day Cicada. Periodic Cicadas take much longer
to fully develop; southern species seem to be on
a 13 year cycle while northern species seem to
take about 17 years to complete their life. The
exact range of either species is not known but
clearly the eastern half of the Unites States
seems to have the bulk of the populations. 
   Both species make noise. This noise is a loud
mating call that will be sung over and over again
as summer starts. Male cicadas have large tracheal
air sacs in their abdomen and thorax which is used
to push air through vibrating organs located on 
their sides. These sounds will start virtually
every morning and continue through most of the
day. Though annoying, the sounds of cicadas are
not damaging. However, their egg laying and 
larval development can stress and injure many
types of trees and shrubs. 
   Female cicadas will lay 500 or more eggs once
able. These eggs are deposited through a needle
like injector, called an ovipositor, and 10 to
20 eggs are sent into likely host trees when
she makes her injections. Females will choose 
small branches and twigs for making these deposits. 
Though large hardwoods and other mature, healthy 
trees probably won't be hurt by this activity, 
young plants can suffer. Since the females will 
inject through several locations once they find 
a suitable limb or branch, these same branches 
will probably die in a few months due to the 
excessive punctures. Eggs will hatch in 1-2 months 
and larva will emerge falling to the soil. There 
they will burrow and feed on the fine shallow root 
system of the host tree or shrub. As they grow, 
the larva will move deeper and deeper into the 
ground where they will stay till fully mature.
   Regardless of the species, young cicadas will 
feed on the sap of the host tree and molt through
their "instars" or stages of development. As they
reach maturity, they will crawl out of the ground
and up the trunk of the host tree. From there they
will emerge from their last instar as an adult
and fly off to mate and start the cycle again.
They leave a brown "skin shed" on trees and shrubs 
which will remain for some time if undisturbed. This
brown skin was their shell and can be useful at
identifying just which trees and shrubs cicadas
are targeting. This clue can prove to be helpful
at identifying stressed trees as well as alerting
you to the species of tree which is being targeted.
Once this information is known, you will be better
prepared for both controlling local populations as 
well as protecting similar or neighboring trees 
so they too don't get infested and damaged.


           CICADA CONTROL OPTIONS
		   
   As described above, 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.


       TREATMENTS FOR KEEPING ADULTS AWAY
 
   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.
It's odorless and safe enough to use on any plant.
If you don't have a sprayer or would like
something a little easier to apply, the CYONARA RTS
might be better suited for your needs. It too is a sprayable
concentrate but it comes in a handy "ready to spray" quart
jug. Just hook it up to your garden hose, turn it on and
your ready to go. It's odorless, very effective against
cicadas and you get good coverage from each quart.
   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. 
   
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