Cicadas Found a Home on My Spruce

[Grunge_Bonsai]

They look happy and healthy here. Maybe they like the smell of the sap?

Anyway, it’s an Alberta Spruce that I swear I bought on a dare. They can have it if they want it.

 

[rockm]

They're very unlikely to do much of anything to you trees. I've had at least two swarm years of them here over the last few decades--we may get another invasion in mid-May, but we're on the peripheral of most of the emergence this time around. Haven't had any damage to bonsai. They don't feed on trees or leaves. They do nip the ends of forest trees or large landscape trees to lay eggs, typically at the crotches of larger secondary branching. They don't much bother with bonsai, too short, not big enough to mess with.

If you're concerned about them, put bird netting over your trees. They last only a few weeks. They do make a racket though.

 

[Underdog]

They cut slits in the trunks and branches to lay eggs. They never heal and often it kills off the above foliage.

 

[Grunge_Bonsai]

They cut slits in the trunks and branches to lay eggs. They never heal and often it kills off the above foliage.
View attachment 542678

Pregnant females will do this, yes. They usually prefer twigs on the ground for this purpose, but won’t discriminate.