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URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The cicada countdown continues, and an expert with the Urbana Park District said they could come sooner than expected.
Billions of them are set to emerge in a rare sight that will turn Illinois into cicada land. They were initially expected in mid-May.
“The soil temperature is at about 54 degrees Fahrenheit. But as it gets warmer, that soil temperature is going to go up, and it is totally possible we could have an early emergence,” Interpretive Naturalist Connor Ross said.
Warmer weather set to come back next week, and Ross said the cicadas could destroy landscaping.
“The main worry for damage is that the females, they dig a groove into young bark to lay their eggs,” he said.
With cicadas emerging soon, some gardeners and landscapers have already taken steps to protect their trees and shrubs. Larry Atherton said he’s an amateur gardener and has been preparing.
“Well, we’ve been reading a lot about this on advice of some of our gardener friends who are more heavily into the gardening than we are,” he said.
Atherton has been placing nets around his trees and bushes to hopefully stop the cicadas from taking over. He said this was the worst timing, because they have new property in Savoy they want to fix up.
“That’s what they’re going after,” he said. “So, we’re protecting what we can and what we need to, and hoping for the best.”
When billions of bugs make their return, Ross said the ideal time to start planting this year would be toward the end of June after the emergence of cicadas. The Urbana Park District said you can also purchase protective barrier tape to protect your trees.
