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WINTER 2007: PDF VERSION (2.6 MB)
IN THIS ISSUE:
WORKING WITH NATURE: Quick! Get Outside!
When thinking of the impending emergence of the 17-year cicada upon Chicagoland, two thoughts rush to mind.
The first is the music of Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" accompanied by the sound of a blender set at "purée."
The second — more serene — image is a montage of childhood icons: crayons, marbles, jacks, chalk, and cicada skins. These are the things of childhood imagination. They recall days of grass stains and scraped knees; a time when cicadas could provide fodder for untold adventures.
Some would say it isn't likely that today's kids will be very interested in the cicadas. Others — like Richard Louv — would even claim that the experiences recalled by the icons mentioned above are endangered.
In Richard Louv's book, Last Child in the Woods, the author makes the bold assertion that today's children suffer from what he calls "nature deficit disorder." The result of the disorder is a laundry list of issues plaguing today's youth.
At ATCE, we are arborists not child-psychologists. We'll leave the social commentary to Louv. Yet, one point he makes that is worthy of note — and difficult to dispute — is that as a society we have become disconnected from nature.
Countless factors have become ready scapegoats for our disconnection: urban sprawl and concrete jungles; technology, the world wide web, video games; fear of strangers, fear of germs; the media. Take your pick.
Whatever the cause and whatever the impact, it is distressing to think that many kids today don't know what mud feels like between their toes or the best way to scare siblings with cicada skins. Yet, they are adept at defeating digital enemies in video games.
This is why the emergence of the 17-year cicada in Chicagoland has the potential for being an earth-shattering event (in a good way). For 6 weeks, Mother Nature will be unavoidable. Usually, She needs to use tornadoes, tsunamis, or snow in April to grab our attention. This time, She's sending millions of really noisy bugs to shake us up and try to connect with us.
It is your role — and responsibility — as parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, teachers, neighbors, and friends to share this bizarre, benign, beautiful natural phenomenon with the next generation.
The coming storm of cicadas is not gross: it is awe-inspiring. More importantly, it is imagination-inspiring.
Get the kids outside!
Turn up a bit of Wagner and fashion some horn-helmets for those singing cicadas. The most boisterous Brünnhilde couldn't top it.
No doubt, Mother Nature will applaud.
CICADAS ARE FUN!
Sure, 17-year cicadas aren't exactly cute. They aren't cuddly, either. However, the chances are good that seeing hundreds of colorful insects flying around and hearing their overwhelming song might be powerful enough to capture a child's imagination. Heck, it might even get a kid outside for an afternoon.
To a child, the sudden emergence of the periodic cicadas — by the billions — can be a magical event. It could also be considered gross or frightening. When it comes down to it, the child's experience is entirely up to you, the parent.
For suggestions about how to make this experience a positive one, start online. Visit www.saltthesandbox.org. The entire site does a wonderful job conjuring creativity using backyard wonders. A portion of the site is devoted to cicadas.
You can also participate in some of the cicada-related events scheduled throughout Chicagoland. In the City, visit The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (www.naturemuseum.org), to create cicada instruments and learn how cicadas make their music. On the North Shore, The Grove in Glenview (www.glenviewparkdist.org) will begin its cicada programming on May 5 with a display that illustrates a cicada's life cycle. In the west suburbs, stop by The Morton Arboretum's Plant Clinic to look at their cicada display (www.mortonarb.org).
Or, you can just go outside with your kids and explore cicadas on your own. How many cicadas can you find on the tree in the front yard? How many cicadas can you fit in an empty pickle jar? Can you find a cicada with blue eyes? Watch cicadas emerge from the ground. Catch a pet cicada. Sing like a cicada. Collect shed cicada exoskeletons. The options are unlimited.
Remember: a child's perception of the cicadas' emergence will mostly mirror your own. Make it magical!
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
When the cicadas emerge and kids look out the window with bug-eyed curiosity, many parents wonder if interaction with the insects will put a child in any sort of danger. The answer is no. Cicadas do not bite (they have sucking mouthparts). They don't have a stinger, either. In addition, cicadas do not carry any diseases communicable to humans.
Because of the craze for eating cicadas that erupts when the insects emerge (yep, they are edible), parents should be aware that cicadas are a member of the order Arthropoda — just like shrimp. As a result, anyone allergic to shellfish may also be allergic to cicadas. It is also possible to become sick after eating a cicada treated with pesticides. Because of these facts, we suggest that parents supervise cicada eating parties. If you have any concerns, please contact your family doctor.
As for your pets, you should know that dogs and cats might find cicadas an irresistible treat. In general, the insects are not harmful to pets; although, consuming mass amounts is capable of blocking a portion of an animal's digestive tract, as cicada skins are not digestible.
ASK AN ARBORIST:
More Than You Wanted to Know
The emergence of the 17-year cicadas in Chicagoland will be an awe-inspiring event. While they're flying around, singing their little hearts out, and covering everything in site, it may be difficult to talk about anything else.
To help keep the conversation fresh, prepare yourself for a season of lively dinner party discussions by reviewing the information that follows:
Cicadas Cicadas Cicadas
- The world boasts approx. 2,000 cicada species
- North America is home to 100 cicada species
- There are 2 types of cicadas in North America: annual cicadas (emerge every year in July and August) and periodic cicadas (emerge every 13 or 17 years in May and June)
- Periodic cicadas are only found in North America
- Periodic cicada populations may reach densities of 1 million insects per acre. Populations are largest where there are established trees
- There are different periodic cicada populations throughout the eastern portion of the continent. Locally, we host the 17-year variety referred to as Brood XIII
- Brood XIII is comprised of three cicada species: Magicicada spetendecim, M. cassini and M. septendecula
What They Look Like
- You'll know in a few weeks (if you can't find one, please contact your optometrist)
- Fun fact: most have red eyes, but eye color variants (e.g. blue, gold, white) occur in 1% of the population
What They Sound Like
- Periodic cicadas are among the world's loudest insects (one male can create a 90dB call)
- Males sing to attract females
- Males create sound using drum-like organs — called tymbals — located in the abdomen. Resonation of the mostly-hollow abdomen amplifies the call.
- Each species produces a distinct call at a specific time
- M. spetendecim: sounds like "pharoh," sings in the morning
- M. cassini: sounds like a revving lawnmower, sings in the late afternoon
- M. septendecula: sounds like a moving lawnmower, sings at midday
Life Cycle
- Each female may lay hundreds of eggs
- 10-12 eggs are deposited at one time into a narrow slit made in the bark of small twigs
- Eggs hatch after approx. 6 weeks
- Newly hatched wingless nymphs fall from the tree, burrow beneath the soil, and feed on tree roots for 13-17 years
- Mature nymphs crawl out of the ground in late-May
- They shed their exoskeletons to emerge as white, winged, malleable adults. They soon dry and develop a hard "shell"
- Adults live for 2-6 weeks after emerging from the ground
Effect on Trees
- Adult cicadas feed on trees but cause virtually no damage. They do not harm leaves or flowers
- Females cause minor damage to twigs when laying eggs. An egg-laden twig may break or hang from a tree. On well-established trees this is not a serious issue
- Young or newly planted trees should be protected. (See below)
Weathering the Storm
- The mass-emergence of periodic cicadas is a natural phenomenon that does not require control measures
- It is not necessary to protect established trees from cicada feeding or egg-laying
- Young or newly planted trees should be protected with a covering of plastic mesh (< 0.5 inch openings). Nets should be set in place before the cicadas emerge, removed 6-8 weeks later
- Ornamental ponds should be covered with plastic mesh to prevent cicada accumulations and oxygen depletion of the water
If you have any questions about periodic cicadas, contact your ATCE arborist by telephoning 847.729.1963.
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UPDATE: Emerald Ash Borer
This spring, it will be easy for the emergence of the 17-year cicada to upstage the emergence of the emerald ash borer (EAB). It cannot be stressed enough, though, that although the cicada has a more noticeable (an overwhelming) presence, EAB has a much more significant and destructive impact on the landscape.
When cicada adults emerge in May, EAB adults will also emerge from ash trees in Illinois. The EAB flight season will continue through late July. This period is the ideal time to monitor for new infestations.
Local, state, and federal authorities are all doing their part to monitor and control the spread of the EAB infestation — but you still play a vital role in this effort. For information about how you can help, visit www.autumntree.com/eab.
Since our last issue, the following developments have occurred in the battle to control the EAB infestation:
March 8, 2007:The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced that it will pay to remove ash trees infested with EAB in 2007 as a part of a plan to reduce the insect's population. To qualify for the program, a tree must be located within 1/2 mile of the USDA-confirmed EAB infestation, exhibit multiple signs of an EAB infestation, and be approved for removal by an authorized representative of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Trees approved for the program will be removed before the start of the beetle's flight season in mid-May.
March 29, 2007: ATCE volunteered to inject Wilmette's historic Bicentennial Ash — a mammoth 74" diameter Green Ash specimen — with a systemic insecticide to help prevent an EAB infestation. The tree is located in Gillson Park along Lake Michigan. Last fall, EAB infestations were discovered in Wilmette, Winnetka, and Evanston, leading to the establishment of an EAB quarantine zone in northern Cook County. In response to the infestation, Wilmette officials developed a plan to slow the pest's progress by removing nearly 2,900 ash trees on public grounds over the course of the next several years. By applying this preventative treatment to the Bicentennial Ash, village officials and ATCE arborists hope to preserve this prized specimen for future generations. More information about the Bicentennial Ash can be found on the Chicago Tribune's Web site — www.chicagotribune.com — in an article by Dave Wischnowsky published on March 30.
For More Information
Visit the Autumn Tree Care Experts web site: www.autumntree.com/eab
Additional information — including details regarding quarantine zones and eradication efforts — is available at www.emeraldashborer.info, or by telephoning the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Hotline: 800.641.3934
ATCE NEWS
We are proud to announce that John Kahon, ATCE's arboricultural services manager, earned the highest honor bestowed by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) upon a certified arborist: Board-Certified Master Arborist.
To earn such a distinction, John was required to meet specific prerequisites in the areas of measurable experience, formal education, related credentials, and professional experience. He also had to successfully complete a 150 question scenario-based exam. The exam — developed from a job analysis survey of American and Canadian arborists and created by a panel of industry experts — tested John's knowledge of arboricultural science, practice, and management.
To date, there is a total of twelve Board-Certified Master Arborists in Illinois. Of those twelve, four are employed by Autumn Tree Care Experts — Paul Blome, John Kahon, Jim Matkovich, and Mike Provost. There are 162 Board-Certified Master Arborists internationally.
ATCE EVENTS
Spring brings with it a season of frenzy at ATCE. In addition to taking care of trees throughout Chicagoland, we are also busy sharing tree care know-how with the community. Here's a list of what we've been up to lately:
Recent Events, Projects, and Programs:
March 9: Marketing Manager Jayson DeGeeter spent the day helping the Arthritis Foundation assemble their Enabling Garden display at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show. That's right...his hands got dirty!
March 24: Arborist Mike Provost served as the on-air arboricultural expert on WNDZ Radio 750AM.
March 25: We are happy to report that arborists Ross Hassinger and Laura Smies both crossed the finish line at the 28th annual Shamrock Shuffle in Grant Park.
March 29: ATCE provided a complimentary EAB preventative treatment to Wilmette's Bicentennial Ash Tree located in Gillson Park.
April 21: Arborist Laura Smies hosted an Ask An Arborist booth at the Park Ridge Earth Day Celebration.
April 27: Vice President Dan Klindera made an encore performance as Morty the Oak on behalf of The Morton Arboretum at the Arbor Day Celebration in Batavia. Question is who had more fun: Dan or the kids?
April 28: Operations Assistant Jordan Orwig met with preschool students at Compass School in Naperville to help with their Arbor Day celebration.
April 28: Members of the ATCE family, led by Administration Director Jackie Jasperson, participated in the American Brain Tumor Association's 2nd annual 5K walk along Chicago's lakefront.
Upcoming Events
May 12 and 19: ATCE arborists will host two guided garden walks at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The walks will begin from the Visitor Center at 1:00 p.m. Join us as we survey the Garden's most stately arboricultural specimens while surrounded by bowers of spring blossoms.
May 13: Arborist Mike Provost will make another radio appearance: this time, he will offer his arboricultural expertise on 105.9 WCKG-FM.
May 19 — 20: It will be a busy weekend at the Chicago Botanic Garden! The Woman's Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society will present the annual "Bloomin' Sale," the Garden will celebrate the seasonal opening of the Bonsai display, there will be a Children's Festival in the Japanese Garden, and the Midwest Bonsai Society will conduct their Spring Show & Sale. Simultaneously, ATCE will host an "Ask An Arborist" booth in the Garden, where you can discuss your arboricultural conundrums with our ISA certified arborists.
Late May: ATCE arborists will host a tree care training session for the Chicago Botanic Garden's Plant Information Volunteers.
June 30: Once again, ATCE will participate in the annual Glenview Summer Street Sale. This year, we will distribute Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), and Frasier Fir (Abies fraseri) seedlings — not to mention popcorn!
June 31: Arborist Laura Smies will share tree care advice at the Keep Evanston Beautiful Garden Walk.
If you or someone you know would like an arborist to speak, sing, or dance at your next gathering, don't hesitate to ask: call us at 847.729.1963 or send an email to welovetrees@autumntree.com.
RECIPE BOX: You Guessed It!
Come on — stop pretending that you're surprised — you knew you would find a cicada recipe in this issue.
FRIED CICADA LETTUCE WRAP
Ingredients:
Filling: 3 handfuls of cicadas (legs and wings removed); 1 egg, beaten; flour, seasoned to taste.
Sauce: 1/4 cup peanuts; 1 teaspoon fresh ginger; 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1 tablespoon hot chili paste; 1 teaspoon sugar.
Wrap: lettuce leaves.
Directions:
Dip cicadas into egg, then into seasoned flour; fry until golden brown. In another pan, toss peanuts and ginger in a little oil for about 2 minutes; add balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Caramelize mixture. Add chili paste and sugar; simmer for 2 minutes. Toss fried cicadas in sauce to coat. Place a few cicadas and some sauce on a leaf of lettuce, wrap, and...um...enjoy!
Please be aware that cicadas — like shrimp — are a member of the phylum Arthropoda. Therefore, individuals who are allergic to shellfish may become ill after consuming cicadas. It is also possible to become ill after consuming cicadas that were treated with pesticides.
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