As you  may have heard, millions of little cicadas are supposed to come this spring.

NOW, they're technically not supposed to come here.  But they are coming to Illinois, Tennessee, and Kentucky, which all border Missouri. And you know how it goes with bugs, they're just like any other wild creature.  They tend not to follow directions. You put up the "deer crossing" sign, and do they cross there? No! It's like they can't read or something. So yes, since there are so many of them so close to us, we may see some here in Missouri as well. Well, what do you do if you have some cicadas in your yard this spring and summer?  Thankfully, not that much.  I looked around the internet for some credible sites and found a few tips from Popular Mechanics, Orkin, Prevention.com, and the Washington Post.

Do a little preparation. 

If you've got small trees, you might want to cover them. Not with anything heavy, but maybe a light net. Bigger, more mature trees won't get damaged by cicadas, but littler ones can get some damage if the ladies try to lay eggs in them.  Get a rake and be ready to use it.  They just come up to the surface to mate and die, and you might have some just... rotting in your yard.  You'll want to clean those up, if for no other reason to keep your dog from eating them.  Not that they will poison them - it's a choking thing.  You know your dog, they're probably not smart enough to not eat a huge pile of dead bugs.

Don't kill them. 

They're not going to do a lot of damage to your yard, your house, anything. If they're on the house or they're annoying you, you can just break out the garden hose and shoo them off.  If one gets into your house, again, don't kill it.  It can't sting or hurt you, but the stuff it eats can stain your hands and make them stink. And if you hit it at the wrong angle, their little grabbers can cut your skin a little.  The common consensus is to just trap them in a little container, put a lid on it, and take it outside.

Be aware when you're outside. 

If you're going to be doing some work outside and you're under a tree, wear a hat.  They're hanging out in the trees, trying to get some action...and well, they're going to pee on you.  It's just the way it is. It's called "honey dew" but..... it ain't sweet.  Again, it's not going to harm you or anything, but it's bug pee and that's not pleasant.  A particularly long time under the trees might get you a stain or two.

So basically, they're not supposed to come, but if they do, you'll be prepared.

Cicadaingly yours,
Behka

 

 

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