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Alex, IN

I dont know if any of you have heard of this insect but this is the year they will come out. As soon as the soil reaches and stays at or above 64 Degreese. The epicenter is supossed to be central and southern Indiana where 1.75 trillion of the bugs a suppsoed to come out. I was just wondering if the will hurt my pumpkin plants?

Thanks,
Mikkal

4/12/2004 8:04:36 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

Magicicadas or 17 year locust as they are sometimes called, live underground for 17 years feeding on perenial tree roots, then they hatch into adults, where they feed on treesap by boring holes in the bark of trees, they are not locust as locust are types of grasshoppers.

Glenn

4/12/2004 12:39:59 PM

northern indiana

You may however suffer some dammage as the Cicadas eggs hatch and drop to the ground. They feed on shallow roots as they work their way down into the soil. They spend most of their lives sucking on tree roots. BUT they do feed on plant roots as they try to work their way down to their primary food source. If you have branches overhanging your patch you may have a problem if your area is badly infested. If there are not branches hanging over your patch for the larva to drop into your patch from, you have nothing to worry about as the adults only surface to molt one last time then mate, lay eggs, and die.

4/12/2004 8:08:59 PM

North Ga

I would only worry if your patch is the epicenter. LOL

4/12/2004 8:43:16 PM

Alex, IN

Thanks for the info.

Mikkal

4/12/2004 9:30:25 PM

Montoursville, PA

If they bother you and you are equipped with two hearing aids as I am...............simply turn them off. They will not be there then!!!!!

4/13/2004 10:34:57 AM