How to Get Rid of Cicadas

Waking up and going outside your home only to discover an enormous number of cicadas on your property can be frightening. These ¾- to 1.5-inch-long insects with red, menacing eyes screaming on your lawn may give you the impression that the world is ending.

No worries, these insects aren’t a plague signaling end times. This is a natural occurrence that happens every 13 to 17 years when periodical cicadas come above ground to mate, typically in May or June once the soil reaches about 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Males and females usually emerge to mate, and most will die after this process. If you’re in one of the states where periodical cicadas emerge, and it is around the time they’re expected, you may be wondering what you can do to remove them from your property. Here’s how to get rid of cicadas so that you can continue to enjoy outdoor entertaining this summer.

Why You May Want to Get Rid of Cicadas

Cicadas aren’t as menacing as they seem. They don’t bite, sting, cause poisonous rashes, nor are they known to transmit disease. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, they can beneficial to the environment by aerating lawns, improving water filtration to the ground, and their decomposing bodies provide nutrients to the soil. Still, there are a few reasons why you may want to eliminate them.

There are too many of them

Seeing a swarm of cicadas on your property can be unnerving—and all those bugs don’t exactly create a welcoming atmosphere if you’re trying to entertain guests. If it is time for periodical cicadas to emerge and you are in one of the regions where they are expected, there will be billions of brood species flocking to an area near you.

Cicada noise is annoying

Adult cicadas make a loud, singing sound. According to entomology specialists at Mississippi State University, a chorus of cicadas can make sounds that range from whirring, buzzing, or white noise to something like “the sound effect you hear from spaceships in an old Star Trek movie.”

If you or someone in your home is easily distracted by or sensitive to noise, these bugs may make life uncomfortable for a while. On the bright side, periodical cicadas don’t typically sing at night so you’ll get some peace and quiet then, though they can get more noisy at dusk.

Cicadas can damage trees and shrubs

Although cicadas aren’t threatening to most plants, there are some trees and shrubs that they love. Here are a few of their favorite types:

Fruit bearing trees

Apple
Cherry
Peach
Pear

Non-fruit bearing trees

Ash
Chestnut
Dogwood
Elm
Hickory
Maple
Oak

Shrubs

Brambles
Forsythia
Lilac
Rose

If their favorite vegetation happens to be on your property, then cicadas may come to your property to lay eggs on them. These larvae may eat your vegetation and cause damage, particularly if the trees or shrubs are young. To protect your trees and shrubs, it is a good idea to cover them up with a mesh fabric, like cheesecloth, with openings at least as small as a quarter of an inch so the cicadas can’t penetrate the holes. Also make sure the mesh is secure around the base of the plant.

Ways to Eliminate Cicadas from Your Property

While your first impulse may be to call an exterminator, it’s not the most practical strategy. Their emergence isn’t a threat to people or property, and they are only above ground a short time—four to six weeks. Besides, an exterminator will be fighting a battle with a multitude of cicadas, so there will just be a new group to fly in. So, this may not be the best use of anyone’s time or your money. Instead, try these methods.

Use a water hose

If you are annoyed by cicadas in your yard, you can try turning on the water hose and spraying them out of your yard. Also, be prepared to do this quite often since plenty more of them will be in an affected area for most of the summer.

Avoid lawn care during the day

When it’s time to mow the lawn, it may be ideal to do it in the early morning or at dusk when cicadas are least likely to be out. Male cicadas are vibrational creatures and may flock to you and your lawn mower if you’re running it during the day. So, to avoid them mistaking your vibrating lawn mower for a potential mate, working in the early morning or at the end of the day is a good idea.

Make your yard unattractive for them

Trees covered in mesh to deter cicadas. — iStock

Female cicadas seek the perfect place to lay their eggs when they emerge. If you have the type of vegetation they like in your yard, they’ll likely visit your place more than your neighbors. If you don’t want to become the mating ground for the cicadas in the neighborhood, it is ideal for you to make your yard unattractive by hiding your alluring vegetation. The best way to do this is to cover your trees, shrubs, and other vulnerable plants with mesh netting. It is also a good idea to apply foil barrier tape around the trunks of trees. If you have a pool or hot tub on your property, cover it up since cicadas can get into them, die, and clog up the drain.

Welcome beneficial insects and predators

Another way to get rid of cicadas is to be open to allowing their predators to visit your property. Many types of birds love to feast on cicadas, as do spiders, bats, cicada killer wasps, raccoons, squirrels, and chipmunks. Even your cat or dog may enjoy a cicada or two. Just be careful not to let your pets eat too many since they can upset their stomachs. Although you may usually call pest control for these other pests and wildlife in your yard, this may be an excellent time to let these critters devour the cicadas.

How to Get Rid of Other Pests

If you’re interested in how to get rid of other common pests, read the following guides:

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are there suddenly more cicadas than usual in my yard?

You are likely in an area of the country where periodical cicadas are emerging. Several states in the United States see an inundation of cicadas every 13 to 17 years. These states are as follows:

Alabama
Arkansas
Georgia
Illinois
Iowa
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
North Carolina
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
Wisconsin

Are cicadas a threat to my safety?

No. Cicadas don’t bite or sting nor are they poisonous. So you don’t have to worry about painful itching or trips to the emergency room. They are more of an annoyance because they make so much noise. They aren’t a threat to your pets either. That said, if your pets ingest too many cicadas, they could get sick.

Will the cicadas on my property go away on their own?

Letting them go away on their own is a humane option—you just need to be patient. They may stay on the property for about eight weeks, probably during summer. Since cicada invasions only happen every 13 to 17 years, you don’t have to worry about seeing them often except during these time periods. You may see annual cicadas emerge yearly for a brief time also, but there will not be nearly as many of these as the periodical cicadas. If you can endure this period when they are plentiful, you won’t have to worry about seeing as many of them again for nearly a decade or two.

Can I get rid of cicadas with pesticides?

Yes, but it may not be the best use of your money and time. The use of pesticides could also put your pets at risk if they ingest them. The ideal option is to tolerate them while they are in your town and wait for them to leave within four to six weeks. You may not even have to worry much about them because other predatory animals and pests will readily chase after them. Just be prepared for their arrival by keeping your windows and doors closed to keep them from getting inside your house. And if all else fails, you may want to consider investing in noise-canceling headphones.