Despite what people say, Cicada damage is real! While Cicada’s don’t eat leaves or trees but they do lay their eggs into young stems/branches. Female cicada’s use their ovipositor (egg laying tubular organ that looks like a dagger) to pierce the tender stems of plants they mate on. After eggs have been fertilized the female cicadas lay eggs inside plant stems.
Eggs begin to hatch after about 6-7 weeks. To limit cicada damage (17 years from now) damaged branches should be pruned out before the eggs begin to hatch. The hatched baby cicadas or nymphs drop from the branches into the ground below the trees they emerged from. Pruning and disposing the damaged branches will stop the cicada cycle.
Cicada damage isn’t over the top like some other pest damage can be. This year cicadas invaded our blueberry patch and created a good amount of damage. This year we had plants that were loaded with berries. Many stems were affected and need to be pruned out. Damaged stems turn brown, crispy, and dry out. Berries on affected stems will not fully ripen either.
Cicadas are known to favor oak and hickory trees but we have seen in large quantities on our blueberries, elderberries, pawpaws, walnuts, chestnuts, and mulberries as well.
Western New Jersey has been one of the largest breeding grounds for the 17 year brood cicada so we aren’t afraid of putting a dent in the population by pruning out cicada damage.
I know most people don’t stay in one location for 17 years but if you do consider pruning out any cicada damage from your berry plants and fruit trees.