MAY
18 2021
Construction project to replace water line at UPB
Photo by Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University via Bugwood.org. Female periodical cicada laying eggs in a tree branch.
Concerns about Periodical Cicada in 2021 BY DONALD SEIFRIT For tree fruit growers, the largest concerns are not from the feeding of adults, but from female oviposition (egg-laying) damage as well as nymphal feeding on root systems. The cicadas (Magicicada septemdecim) will begin to emerge from the ground in large numbers in about the third week of May and continue to emerge until June. They will leave the ground as mature nymphs (an immature life stage), crawl to the nearest vertical surface, and climb up several inches to begin the process of molting. They will then emerge from their exoskeletons as winged, sexually mature adults. Adults are about 1.5 inches in length, mostly
black, with large red eyes and other reddish markings. Males produce a very loud mating call. Females are silent but are attracted to the males’ mating calls. About a week to 10 days after the males begin to sing, they mate, and the females lay eggs in tree branches. For larger trees, this is less of a problem. Females have a preferred branch thickness, and this diameter is relatively small. For large trees, you will see evidence of tip dieback, but on smaller trees, such as high-density orchard systems, where the average branch diameter is much smaller than free-standing trees, as well as in blocks of newly planted trees, this is a serious concern. The eggs will hatch after about 6 to 7 weeks, and
small, white nymphs will fall from the trees to the ground. The nymphs will bury into the ground to feed on root systems (first grass roots, but eventually tree roots) for the next 17 years. Exclusion netting is an effective control measure for smaller orchards. The mesh size should be no larger than ¼”. If exclusion practices fail, summer pruning and the removal of cuttings from the orchard could potentially remove eggs and nymphs from the orchard, reducing future cicada infestations 17 years later. If netting is too expensive to be used, pyrethroid insecticides with a long residual action would be useful for young trees. If there continues to be egg-laying pressure, another
application may be necessary. Scouting the orchard every 2 to 3 days would provide the necessary insight to determine if any pesticide applications were effective. A pyrethroid application may also cause an increase in mite outbreaks during the season, due to off-target effects on Stethorus species. Dr. Greg Krawczyk, Extension Tree Fruit Entomologist, contributed to this article. If you have any orchard questions, please reach out to your local Extension office or tree fruit educator. If you’re an orchardist in southeast PA, Don Seifrit (the author of this article) is available to talk at 610-3781327 or available by email at dus970@psu.edu
Construction began Tuesday on a new water line at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford as part of a shared project with the Bradford Water Authority. During the construction, which will last through mid-August, the campus will be under complete excavation to lay new water lines and connect them to all buildings on the campus “loop.” Anyone coming to campus is asked to use extra caution this summer and watch for directional signs. Walkers who want to access the Tuna Valley Trail Association’s Richard E. McDowell Community Trail should park at the trail head across from the Kessel Athletic Complex on Campus Drive. Brief power and water outages may require some buildings to be closed for short periods of time. “As the Water Authority continues to improve the waterline system from the reservoir, the university is upgrading its system as
well to provide redundant supply in case of any future catastrophic breaks in the main line,” said Rhett Kennedy, director of facilities management. During a period of sub-zero temperatures in February 2015, a water authority main line carrying water from the city’s main reservoir to the city burst near Blaisdell Hall, spilling 5 million gallons and causing the university and public schools to close during a declared state of emergency. Since then, the authority has completed an $11.5 million dollar project to install a 6-mile redundant water transmission line from the West Corydon Street water treatment plant to the main finished water reservoir above the city of Bradford. In addition, several new large diameter gate valves have been installed across the system to allow for effective and efficient shut downs and re-routing of water service in the event of any future catastrophic main line failures.