Virginia forestry officials are reporting widespread damage to oaks and other trees from this year’s arrival of the 17-year cicadas.
Tree damage is the result of cicada females laying eggs in the thin-barked outer branches of trees and shrubs. The females slice into the branch, then deposit up to 20 eggs.
Forest health specialist Chris Asaro said a single female can create about 30 nests, laying as many as 600 eggs.
“When you consider how many millions of female cicadas were laying eggs over the past few weeks, there are literally billions of slices in the trees,” said Asaro. “ All of these cuts along the length of the outer branches can cause enough structural damage to kill the terminal, which turns brown, a phenomenon known as ‘flagging’ or ‘twig dieback’.”
The degree of flagging on any individual tree may vary from a few scattered branches to almost every available twig.
From NewsPlex.com: https://www.newsplex.com/news/headlines/Widespread-Damage-to-Trees-Due-to-Cicada-Outbreak-212364491.html?ref=491