What You Need to Know About Brood X
You’ve heard about them online and you’ve seen them on the news.
The cicadas are coming!
The insects that look like flies on steroids and sound like a million screaming buzzsaws are headed right for your yard!
Here, we’ll talk about what the new season of cicadas will look like for your yard and whether or not you need to be concerned. For any and all of your lawn concerns, you can trust All Wet for the straight scoop. Contact us today at 973.366.8754 about your lawn and irrigation needs!
First - a few facts about the emergence of the cicadas.
- This type of cicada - dubbed Brood X - emerges every 17 years.
- To breed effectively, their strategy is to overwhelm their environment which is why you’ll see them swarming on trees and hear them buzzing like maniacs over the next several weeks.
- To feed, these cicadas pierce tree bark and suck out the sap. Then they dig underground to eat plant roots.
- Brood X will come out of the ground when the soil reaches a consistent 65 F degrees and the buzzing that accompanies their mating will last for 4 to 6 weeks until they mate, lay their eggs and die.
What’s most important to note?
Cicadas won’t do anything detrimental to your lawn. They can take a toll on new plant growth and young trees, but there’s no reason to worry about cicadas negatively impacting your lawn.
While it might not be pleasant to take a barefoot stroll, the cicadas don’t eat the grass blades or do anything that stifles grass growth. They burrow holes in the grass, but those holes don’t harm anything and it’s even possible they provide aeration to the soil.
They’re a noisy nuisance, but when the cicadas die their bodies will actually provide nourishment for the soil. So while it’s important to rid the yard of a lot of pests, cicadas are actually our friends. Loud friends, but friends nonetheless!
If you have questions about cicadas, other insects or any aspect of your lawn care, contact us today.