After just going through the 13 and 17 year simultaneously cicada invasion. I came to the conclusion the only thing that could have helped would be fine mesh netting thrown over the trees and tied tightly to the trunk. Cicadas both fly and crawl, so you need double protection. Thump the tree well before you throw the netting over the tree. Cicads will make a weird noise and fly away when the tree is thumped. Maybe if someone invented a tree thumper on a timer it might help some, IDK…
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One study at Tennessee Tech Univ. showed that kaolin clay and dematiaceous earth had significant deterrence as a foliar spray once a week.
I hate to use chemicals but I suppose the new, safer formulation of SEVIN (with Zeta Cypermethrin) would knock back cicada.
Thanks,
Frank
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It did absolutely nothing, that I could tell.
The females are the problem, they lay eggs on the under side of branches from pencil to sharpie diameter. It looks like a buzz saw left a track. The branchs fold down or breaks off. A few times a week I went out to the orchard with clippers in hand to purne off the aftermath. I’m not lying when I say I lost atleast one, if not two growing seasons of new growth from my trees. I had them all pruned and ready to grow then the cicadas showed up and pruned them again for me.Anow I got new branches crossing each other and water sprouts that I didn’t want or need.
A fine mesh net would work well, I didn’t know that until it was too late. Pretty doggone expensive per tree also.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dalen-Outdoor-Cicada-X-Protective-Netting-INC-14/329925289
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