Cicadas as food ( update)

Skip K

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*another update*.... something to be on the look out for if you are dealing with this mess and have mini ponds in your enclosures. Checked on the ponds today and the water was fetid. What I thought were harmless cicada shells were actually drowned cicada larvae decomposing. What a chore cleaning them.
 

Skip K

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Ish. Yeah, guess they don't keep up with landscaping either...
Every tree and bush is teeming with them...they are flying everywhere. My main concern is young shrubs, young and very old trees ...that will be damaged when they drill their proboscis into new growth branches and stems...to lay eggs. Damage can be severe
 

ZenHerper

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Yeah.

I keep trying to think of ways to clear them up.

Leaf sucker? =DD

Or a reverse olive-harvesting. Net the ground to keep them crawling up onto the plants...
 

Cathie G

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Every tree and bush is teeming with them...they are flying everywhere. My main concern is young shrubs, young and very old trees ...that will be damaged when they drill their proboscis into new growth branches and stems...to lay eggs. Damage can be severe
I've read that they don't do that but I did hear a warning on the news today. Anyone that is allergic to shell fish or sea food shouldn't eat them ? I was thinking ok I don't eat bugs I'm ok.?
 

Skip K

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Yeah.

I keep trying to think of ways to clear them up.

Leaf sucker? =DD

Or a reverse olive-harvesting. Net the ground to keep them crawling up onto the plants...
I thought of treating the lawn with granular insecticide...but our torts graze on the grass and weeds...but with hundred of thousands in every yard...it would have just partially stemmed the tide. I do get some comfort collecting a few dozen and dumping them in the boxie enclosure...then watching the massacre. I’ve seen cicadas climb on the carapace of boxies...and other boxies climb up and eat them. But they must be nutritious like you said. Had a boxie in isolation because of some issue I’ve never dealt with before...but my plan of action and a mostly cicada diet...well she went back into the main enclosure today...after 2 weeks
 

Cathie G

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I thought of treating the lawn with granular insecticide...but our torts graze on the grass and weeds...but with hundred of thousands in every yard...it would have just partially stemmed the tide. I do get some comfort collecting a few dozen and dumping them in the boxie enclosure...then watching the massacre. I’ve seen cicadas climb on the carapace of boxies...and other boxies climb up and eat them. But they must be nutritious like you said. Had a boxie in isolation because of some issue I’ve never dealt with before...but my plan of action and a mostly cicada diet...well she went back into the main enclosure today...after 2 weeks
Well...boxies do like shrimp if you have nothing else so I guess you should get more boxies ? I heard that's what brood x taste like. But I wouldn't know ?
 

Crazy bird lady

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I need help on what a balanced diet should be for a tortoise. I live in the uk so I am thinking of getting a spur-thighs tortoise maybe. It depends. But I need to know what a balanced diet would be now because when my grandma had one for when she was younger, the rules were way different! ?
 

Skip K

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I've read that they don't do that but I did hear a warning on the news today. Anyone that is allergic to shell fish or sea food shouldn't eat them ? I was thinking ok I don't eat bugs I'm ok.?
Cathy....cicadas don’t harm plants...but bushes, shrubs or trees ( with woody stems, branches etc) they do damage. We almost lost a young redbud last infestation. Killed multiple young branches...and the branches that survived have scars to this day. Many people here wrap saplings or put netting over young bushes with woody stems like hydrangeas to prevent scarring or killing a bush
 

Cathie G

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Cathy....cicadas don’t harm plants...but bushes, shrubs or trees ( with woody stems, branches etc) they do damage. We almost lost a young redbud last infestation. Killed multiple young branches...and the branches that survived have scars to this day. Many people here wrap saplings or put netting over young bushes with woody stems like hydrangeas to prevent scarring or killing a bush
I can't remember the last 17 year locust invasion which would be 2004. Nor the one in 1987. Maybe my area doesn't get them as bad. The only thing I can remember is they were kinda a nuisance and loud. Not even close to what you are going through.?
 

ZenHerper

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I can't remember the last 17 year locust invasion which would be 2004. Nor the one in 1987. Maybe my area doesn't get them as bad. The only thing I can remember is they were kinda a nuisance and loud. Not even close to what you are going through.?
So this is a question about population science.

There are a lot of factors involved in predicting how well a species will breed, how well the larvae will develop, feed, cocoonify, survive 13-17 winters, uncocoonify into fertile adults...
 

Cathie G

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So this is a question about population science.

There are a lot of factors involved in predicting how well a species will breed, how well the larvae will develop, feed, cocoonify, survive 13-17 winters, uncocoonify into fertile adults...
Of course TFO got me thinking again ? so I googled it. My county isn't in the counties that are going to get a major emergence in Ohio. And it probably never is even though we do get them and a lot of them. It's never been what Skip K is describing.? But it did say to protect young trees with netting and not to plant new ones. It should be over around July. Good time to plant. Next year will be really good for older trees because of how well fertilized they will be. It also said its a good sign that something can live and survive through all the pollution in the earth for 17 years. I just hope they don't become Mutant Ninja Locusts from it and take over my house?
 

Cathie G

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I need help on what a balanced diet should be for a tortoise. I live in the uk so I am thinking of getting a spur-thighs tortoise maybe. It depends. But I need to know what a balanced diet would be now because when my grandma had one for when she was younger, the rules were way different! ?
Hello. Welcome to TFO ? I so wish I could direct you to the right threads to find your answers. I'm not good at that because I'm not really computer literate. Just keep looking here and you'll find that info though.
 

ZenHerper

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I need help on what a balanced diet should be for a tortoise. I live in the uk so I am thinking of getting a spur-thighs tortoise maybe. It depends. But I need to know what a balanced diet would be now because when my grandma had one for when she was younger, the rules were way different! ?

There are two very different species that go around with the common name of "Spur Thigh"...

This is the care info for African Spur Thigh tortoises (Sulcata - the giant species):

This is the information for Greek Spur-Thighed tortoises (the small Mediterranean species):

It's usually quicker to get specific help if you start a thread of your own with a title that will attract the keepers you need to talk to. Welcome! =))
 

Crazy bird lady

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Tha
There are two very different species that go around with the common name of "Spur Thigh"...

This is the care info for African Spur Thigh tortoises (Sulcata - the giant species):

This is the information for Greek Spur-Thighed tortoises (the small Mediterranean species):

It's usually quicker to get specific help if you start a thread of your own with a title that will attract the keepers you need to talk to. Welcome! =))
Thanks, this helps.
 

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