Dead leaves on your trees? It’s the cicadas’ fault!

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Over the past week, you may have noticed dead leaves and twigs on the ends of the branches of trees in your yard. As you may have guessed, cicadas are to blame!

Female leafhoppers lay their eggs in small branches (as wide as a pencil or smaller) by cutting small slits into them. This not only interrupts the flow of moisture in the branch, but can also lead to the spread of diseases and fungi that can kill the branch.

The good news is that most trees survive this type of damage.

Lucas Holman, extension agent for the Wilson County University of Tennessee, said larger trees will not suffer permanent damage. However, long-term damage could occur to the younger trees, especially fruit trees that are trying to grow branches that will bear fruit in future years. Pruning these dying branches will help the younger trees in the long run.

Some homeowners have taken precautions to protect their younger trees by covering them.

So how long will cicadas be around? They are definitely not as loud as they used to be and we see a lot of dead specimens lying on the ground.

Dr. Midhula Gireesh, a specialist in the University of Tennessee’s Institute of Entomology and Plant Pathology, said the peak of this cicada invasion has now passed.

“We saw the peak of activity when there were a lot of cicadas,” Gireesh said. “But if you look around now, you can see that that peak is probably over and many adults have started dying. We see the damage caused by egg-laying, which means they have already served their purpose. They have laid their eggs and now it is time to say goodbye.”

Gireesh said the remaining cicadas that are ready to mate will be around for another two to three weeks. When the eggs hatch, they will burrow into the ground, and we will see this 13-year-old broodstock again in 2037!