The Cicadas Are Coming

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - When my neighbor called to ask me what I was going to do about the periodical cicadas that are coming my first reaction was that like a big snowfall or other natural phenomenon, I'll probably just sit back and watch. But I agreed to ask someone smarter, Scott Guiser, of Penn State's Bucks County Extension whose advice can calm my neighbor's cicada fears and yours - NOT TO WORRY, most of us won't have a problem.

"While the cicadas can be impressive in great numbers," Scott says, "not all of us will be inundated. In 1996 they were spotty, very obvious in certain locations, and absent from most places."

Cicadas don't sting or bite you, and they DON'T EAT YOUR PLANTS. The only damage comes when they lay eggs into thin, young branches. On older trees, it ends up being like a modest pruning. If you have young trees and shrubs, AND loads of cicadas show up in your area, you can protect young woody plants with netting for the few weeks the cicadas are around.

Otherwise, just look, listen and remember, you won't see those babies for another 17 years. For more cicada info: PSU.edu/extension/factsheets.