Cicadas are fascinating insects known for their loud, distinctive songs, especially during the summer months. While they are harmless to humans, gardeners, and nature enthusiasts often wonder what cicadas eat and how their feeding habits affect plants. Understanding their diet can help you anticipate their behavior and prevent potential damage to trees and shrubs.
What Cicadas Eat
Cicadas primarily feed on plant fluids, specifically xylem sap, which they extract using their specialized mouthparts called stylets. Here’s a breakdown:
- Adult cicadas
- Drink sap from twigs, branches, and stems of trees and shrubs.
- Do not chew leaves or flowers; their feeding is liquid-only.
- Can sometimes damage young plants or branches when laying eggs (egg-laying requires cutting small slits in branches).
- Nymphs (juvenile cicadas)
- Live underground for several years (some species up to 17 years).
- Feed on root sap from grasses, shrubs, and trees.
- Use their piercing mouthparts to tap into roots and extract nutrients.
Visual Cues of Feeding
- Tiny puncture marks on twigs or branches.
- Slight wilting or browning at feeding sites.
- In young plants, repeated feeding may stunt growth.
Where Cicadas Can Be Found or Live
Cicadas thrive in warm, temperate environments with plenty of trees or shrubs. Common habitats include:
- Deciduous forests – abundant tree roots for nymphs and branches for adults.
- Gardens and yards – especially where fruit trees or ornamental shrubs are planted.
- Grasslands – nymphs feed on grass roots.
- Urban areas – adults may perch on trees or fences; nymphs underground in soil.
Cicadas are generally most visible in spring and summer, when adults emerge from the soil, mate, and lay eggs.
Common Signs of Cicada Activity
While cicadas are not highly destructive, some indicators include:
- Loud buzzing or clicking sounds, often in groups.
- Damaged branches or twigs from egg-laying.
- Presence of exoskeletons on tree trunks after molting.
Practical Advice for Gardeners
- Monitor young trees, as they are most vulnerable to cicada egg-laying.
- Consider protective netting for saplings during peak cicada season.
- Healthy, mature trees usually withstand feeding without long-term damage.
FAQs
1. Do cicadas eat leaves?
No, cicadas only feed on plant fluids, not leaves. Adults pierce twigs and stems, while nymphs feed on roots.
2. Are cicadas harmful to my garden?
Mostly, no. They rarely kill mature plants, but young trees can experience branch damage during egg-laying.
3. How long do cicadas feed?
Adult cicadas feed for a few weeks, mainly during their mating period. Nymphs feed underground for years before emerging.