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By RENITA FENNICK; Times Leader Staff Writer
Monday, May 06, 1996 Page: 1A
Northeastern Pennsylvania will not escape the 17-year cicadas, area experts
say.
“But they’re only around for a few weeks and all of the plants will
rejuvenate in a short time,” said landscaping expert John Dulsky, adding
another bit of good news. “It’s not like the gypsy moth that destroys plants.
The leaves grow back.”
Dulsky of Plains Nursery, which operates landscaping and lawn and garden
centers in Plains Township, said the cicadas are not harmful to people.
Not unless a swarm of them land on your windshield and impair your sight
while driving, said Sal Diaz, a Moosic landscaper.
Diaz was stationed in North Carolina with the U.S. Army in 1979 the last
time the 17-year cicadas appeared on the East Coast.
“They’re annoying because of their sound. They’re so loud,” Diaz said. “And
they can get all over everything, your trees, your laundry if you hang it
outside to dry.”
The cicadas are expected to emerge sometime this month but there is little
a person can do to protect their foliage, Diaz said.
“You can bag everything, cover up trees and bushes with a fine net,
possibly burlap,” Diaz said. “But that won’t keep all of them out. And once
they come, forget it. Pesticides are useless because there are so many of
them.”
The 1 -inch bugs make a humming noise that can get very loud, Dulsky said.
“They come out, get their wings, mate and then die. What a life,” Dulsky
said.
“They’re only around for a few weeks,” Diaz said. “But it seems like the
longest weeks of your life.”