Found Cicadas on a plant this morning. Do they eat weed or just trees?
9 Likes
My understanding is that they are primarily tree sap eaters. Now, that being said under the Goldbloom law of “Nature finds a way.”, if there is a population explosion and not enough trees to go around then they may start to panic eat anything close enough to their usual food source.
Please keep us all updated if you leave it and find it did any/or no damage. 
5 Likes
They eat whatever they want. I’m keeping my outdoors inside till they gone
5 Likes
I’m pretty sure once they hatch the only have breeding on the mind. I believe their mouth parts don’t even work at that stage. You need to worry about them when they are underground.
@corgitron - that’s normally September or October
8 Likes
I don’t think they bother any crops. I also don’t remember them being a problem with my plants 17 or 34 years ago. I do remember 17 years ago you couldn’t hardly catch a fish and the next spring the jake turkey weighed 21-22 pounds and are usually 16-17. Everything gets fat eating them
8 Likes
The flying adult version is harmless, it’s the little dirt baby that can mess stuff up.
4 Likes
Truth right there. Weird looking and loud, but not destructive.
Pretty sure it’s just big juicy tree roots they’re after in the larval/pupa stage.
9 Likes
If there underground do they eat your roots?
2 Likes
Once they’re underground they can’t really move…so they find a big tree root and more or less stick with that. They’d starve every year if they were dependent on annual plants like Cannabis…and they need 17 years to develop (some cicadas not all). I’ve dug up some pupa wondered wtf is this thing while removing stumps and roots before…just a big juicy brown pod lol.
6 Likes
Don’t think they eat either, but they do lay there eggs in tree limb tips.
They were here last year
2 Likes
Yeah, you hit something there for sure. There are 2 different type of cicadas (more actually), buy for the sake of this conversation 2.
You have cicadas that hatch every year or every few years.
You have Magicicadas that hatch every 17 years.
The photo looks like the latter I believe. We have the other type around here every year.
Edit: they eat tree roots like vernal said.
4 Likes
The Magicicadas wait 17 years to breed, just to die. I would classify that as weird for sure. 
2 Likes
That is what I understand too. I haven’t checked for some years, but I think you’re correct in that they only emerge to yell a lot to find a mate. 
4 Likes
I do remember 17 years ago the tips of trees hanging from being eaten through. The eggs were on those tips. I guess we’ll see if they use cannabis in the same way. I have some damage to a smaller plant but I think its grass hoppers.
1 Like
I just see them as a vector for all other type bugs and common garden issues.
1 Like
Interested in this, following.
I love that patch. It would make a great shirt as well.
I think I’m hearing them a little around here in southern Colorado. I doubt they’re all over, but we’re right where the mountains and great plains meet. I’m actually in the mountains a little myself. I heard some on my way to the lake over the hill yesterday.
I grew up in Bama and they are a yearly thing as far as the noise. Never remember any damage really.
5 Likes
The sound of summer for Eastern US.
Wheee-ew whee-ew wheee-ew
A soundtrack to the oppressive heat and humidity.
4 Likes
The western part of Oklahoma plays it as a soundtrack to the dry heat, drought, and blowing sand.
2 Likes
I held one today, it was vibrating. Scary looking bug