All,
I somehow lost my connection to the list serve while the discussion was going
on about oak trees and cicadas. I’ve read that many or most of the little
clumps of oak branch tips and other leaf tips now falling in our yards are full
of the eggs for Brood X set to emerge in 2038. If you’d like to help this brood
on its 17-year journey of life, it’s best not to mow down the branch tips, bag
them up in your trash, or even give them to Public Works, as none of those
options will allow many of the baby cicadas to make their way into the soil and
tree roots they need for their lives underground. If possible, find areas of
your yard that you don’t need to mow and let the tree branch tips lie there for
the summer. If anyone has a better or more complete understanding of this
aspect of cicada care, let me know.
And along those lines, when does the egg-laying end and we can allow our young
trees and shrubs to breathe free again?
Bob
