Cicadas

[Cathy Raphael]

ALL DAY LONG the cicadas drop thru my net - swim in the pond - and then die & drop to the bottom. A week ago it was clean as a whistle (and I paid $250 for a man to do that). Now it is DISGUSTING! There are usually about 40 at a time swimming around on the top (5x8' pond). They drop from the sky onto my head - clothes - food if we eat outside (we can no longer do that) - and especially around my big oak tree, there are THOUSANDS. They are spreading from the back yard to the front. Flying all around. I don't mind the noise - but the guts and wings all over I DO MIND. We never had this many last time. They almost killed my dogwood - and we had to do surgery on the tree afterwards. I am worried I will have to change the water in my pond (second time in 2 weeks).

 

[Cathy Raphael]

ALL DAY LONG the cicadas drop thru my net - swim in the pond - and then die & drop to the bottom. A week ago it was clean as a whistle (and I paid $250 for a man to do that). Now it is DISGUSTING! There are usually about 40 at a time swimming around on the top (5x8' pond). They drop from the sky onto my head - clothes - food if we eat outside (we can no longer do that) - and especially around my big oak tree, there are THOUSANDS. They are spreading from the back yard to the front. Flying all around. I don't mind the noise - but the guts and wings all over I DO MIND. We never had this many last time. They almost killed my dogwood - and we had to do surgery on the tree afterwards. I am worried I will have to change the water in my pond (second time in 2 weeks).

Maybe double netting would help....

 

[WaterGardener]

Can you dip them out of the pond with a net?

 

[SarahT]

Try mosquito netting which has a finer weave than most pond netting I've seen, for for the short time the cicadas are a pestilential deluge, not an occasional bug. Or, fabric stores carry 72 inch nylon netting. It worked well 17 years ago, when I was in Brood X territory.

 

[Cathy Raphael]

Can you dip them out of the pond with a net?

The ones on TOP of the water - but they just KEEP COMING one right after another. They are crawling all over the net - and the bottom you can see dead ones by the gazillion (and I have plants & a tunnel etc. in there - so it would not be EASY to really get them ALL.... probably impossible....

 

[Cathy Raphael]

Try mosquito netting which has a finer weave than most pond netting I've seen, for for the short time the cicadas are a pestilential deluge, not an occasional bug. Or, fabric stores carry 72 inch nylon netting. It worked well 17 years ago, when I was in Brood X territory.

I don't want to smother the fish, either.....

 

[addy1]

None at our house yet.............. not even one

I would do a screen door net, mosquito net or just constantly net them out. At least 17 years before it comes again.

 

[WaterGardener]

We are just starting to see them here, but none in the pond as yet.

Mosquito netting isn't going to sufficate the fish, especially if it is placed above the water. People sleep in beds completely surrounded with it. It let's plenty of air through.

 

[poconojoe]

Scoop them out with a net.
Get a roll of window screening. Hold it in place with big rocks or something like tent stakes.
How big is your pond?

 

[brokensword]

Cicada? What's a cicada?

 

[poconojoe]

Cicada? What's a cicada?

A tasty delight you put on a sandwich with watercress!
Tastes just like chicken!

 

[poconojoe]

We haven't seen any cicadas here in northeastern Pennsylvania...YET!
We didn't get them too bad last time, thank goodness.

When I was a teenager living on Staten Island (New York) in the 70's, it was pretty bad. They were everywhere. And they sounded like UFOs invading from a sci-fi movie.

Hate those beady red eyed things!

I can say that the gypsy moths have done way more damage in the past.