Can Trees Recover from Cicada Damage? The Ultimate Guide for Homeowners

As a homeowner and gardener, you may be wondering if trees can recover after a cicada infestation. I know it can be alarming to see the damage cicadas cause, with their incessant buzzing, sap-bleeding holes, and piles of excrement covering your once-thriving trees.

Not to worry! With some thoughtful care and attention, most trees can bounce back completely from cicada damage. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to assess and treat cicada damage, help your trees recover over time, and prevent future cicada invasions.

Identifying Cicada Damage on Your Trees

Before taking any action, it‘s important to closely inspect your trees to determine the extent of the cicada damage. Here are the most common signs:

Visible Symptoms

• Wilting, yellowing, curling, or browning leaves
• Branches drooping noticeably
• Oozing sap from wounds on branches and trunk
• Cicada excrement covering leaves and branches
• Presence of live cicadas on the tree
• Loud buzzing or mating calls

Severity Metrics

• Light Damage: Isolated wilting leaves and minor sap bleeding from a few points
• Moderate Damage: Widespread leaf discoloration and curling, soft and drooping branches
• Severe Damage: Widespread loss of leaves, dead and broken branches, heavy sap bleeding from multiple wounds

Take a close look at all parts of the tree—the leaves, branches, trunk, and root zone. This thorough inspection will reveal the full extent of the cicada infestation and help guide the treatment approach.

Taking Action: Immediate Steps to Care for Cicada-Damaged Trees

Once you‘ve assessed the severity, promptly taking action can limit further damage and give the tree its best chance of recovering fully.

For Moderate to Severe Damage

• Carefully prune away any dead, dying, or broken branches. Make cuts at least 4-6 inches below the damaged areas to prevent spreading disease.

• Monitor extremely droopy or damaged branches and prop them up if needed. This prevents further breakage under the weight of new growth.

• Dispose of pruned branches immediately to prevent spreading pests to healthy trees nearby. Burning or burying works best.

• Consider applying a wound sealant like pruning paint over any large pruning wounds to prevent disease transmission.

Ongoing Maintenance

• Monitor the tree closely over the next few weeks for signs of continued stress like wilting, leaf/branch dieback, or oozing sap.

• Water trees thoroughly if hot and dry conditions persist after cicada damage occurs. Add a layer of organic mulch around the root zone to retain moisture.

• Apply a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer if leaf color paling indicates nutrient deficiency. Follow package rates carefully.

• Leave the tree alone to recover if it begins regrowing leaves and doesn‘t show worsening dieback or ooze sap. Avoid over-pruning or fertilizing.

When to Call an Arborist

If more than 50% of the tree canopy is damaged or large main branches are broken, consider consulting an ISA-certified arborist right away for an expert evaluation. They can determine if pruning or cabling is needed to protect tree structure.

Helping Your Trees Recover After Cicada Damage

The key principles for nurturing your tree back to full health are proper pruning techniques, using protective sealants, and providing supplemental water and nutrients only as needed:

Follow Proper Pruning Best Practices

• Prune in late summer after cicadas are gone to accurately assess damage. Never remove over 30% of the tree‘s canopy at once.

• Make pruning cuts just outside the branch collar, angle down away from the trunk. Avoid cutting main branches unless completely dead.

• Sterilize pruning tools before each new cut with isopropyl alcohol or a diluted bleach solution to prevent disease spread.

• Shred and dispose of pruned branches immediately to prevent pest re-infestation. Chip branches or bury/burn debris.

Use Protective Sealants on Wounds

• Apply pruning sealer or tree wound paint to any cut larger than 1 inch across. This prevents decay and pests.

• Monitor how well sealed wounds are closing over time. Reapply sealant if cracking appears as the wound expands with tree growth.

Provide Supplemental Water and Nutrients

• Water trees deeply once a week during dry periods while recovering. Soak the root zone thoroughly.

• Fertilize immediately if leaf yellowing spreads using a balanced 10-10-10 formula. Follow label rates precisely.

• Hold off on fertilizing if leaf color looks normal. Excess nutrients can damage weakened trees.

Know When to Call an Arborist

If your tree shows no signs of recovery—continued leaf drop, thin canopy, oozing sap months later—contact an ISA-certified arborist to inspect for signs of disease or pest infestation. Acting quickly can save the tree!

Preventing Cicada Damage in the Future

While we can’t keep cicadas away completely, several effective strategies can deter them from laying eggs in and damaging your valuable trees:

Make Your Trees Less Appealing

• Prune trees in late July after egg-laying finishes so new growth doesn‘t attract the next brood.

• Avoid heavy fertilization which can draw cicadas to tender new shoots on trees.

• Plant cicada-resistant species like lilacs, beech, birch, dogwoods, and hickories.

Use Physical Barriers

• Wrap tree trunks in sticky tape or insect barrier tree collars to prevent climbing.

• Drape fine netting over susceptible fruit trees to keep cicadas off small branches.

Leverage Chemical Solutions

• Apply insecticidal soaps or cicada-specific pyrethroid sprays to kill nymphs as they emerge.

• Concentrate applications on tree trunks and lower branches where egg laying primarily occurs.

Use Plants to Divert Cicadas

• Inter-plant trees and shrubs that attract cicadas, like fruit trees, to divert them from prized specimens.

Control the Environment

• Remove decaying stumps and deadwood to prevent nymphs from emerging nearby.

• Eliminate mulch, leaf litter, and fruit debris from around trees to discourage egg laying.

Deter with Smells

• Scatter garlic, red pepper flakes, or onions around trees to repel cicadas using odor. Reapply after heavy rain.

A Preventative Approach is Best

A combination of physical barriers, repellent sprays, environment control, and plant diversification gives the best protection against cicadas. Stay vigilant for signs of damage each summer so action can be taken promptly if an infestation occurs.

Final Thoughts on Helping Trees Recover from Cicada Damage

Seeing those voracious cicadas damaging your trees can be disheartening, but don’t lose hope! Most healthy trees are resilient enough to fully recover through prompt pruning, thoughtful care, and some patience as regrowth occurs.

By identifying problems early, making smart pruning cuts, providing supplemental water and nutrients, and utilizing preventative measures, you can help your trees thrive for years to come despite periodic cicada invasions. With a bit of knowledge and TLC, your yard will keep its lush, vibrant feel.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help a fellow gardening enthusiast keep their trees and plants healthy.