Brood X Cicadas killing the leaf branches of our oaks

[Jere39]

The Brood X Cicadas were a noisy, squishy underfoot, dog food mess for the month of June. It was hard enough to keep my Brittany from gorging on them, and listening to them drone on perpetually during daylight hours:



The base of one of the big Red Oaks in my lawn was just covered with them:


But, now that the sound is gone, and the carcasses are feeding my lawn, I see that all my Oaks, most of my Maples, and very sadly, this Chestnut Oak I planted to commemorate the birth of my first grandson 5 years ago have had the leaves on the branch tips destroyed by the slits the Cicadas trenched into those small branches to lay their eggs. It probably won't be a long term health issue for the 100 year old grand oaks, but it is not looking good for this young Oak that has primarily small branches:



Edit to add some more pictures:

The 50+ year old Pin Oaks that line my driveway:



Those trees will likely survive what amounts to less than 5% of the small leaf branches that are destroyed.

Unfortunately, this is the Chestnut Oak I planted for my Grandson:



And this is a close up of one of those branches:

 

[buzz sawyer]

The tree should recover. This has been going on probably for eons. Seems to be a natural pruning process. If it was really bad, we would see few trees more than 17 years old.
I would extend the mulch ring around the tree - get rid of the grass as it competes for water and nutrients. You can cut off the damaged branches and discard or burn. If they fall to the ground, the larvae will hatch and burrow into the soil, coming out again in 17 years.

 

[Blackbruin]

Be glad your not up here in. Northcentral pa...many a ridge almost bare or bare from gypsy moths

 

[Jere39]

Be glad your not up here in. Northcentral pa...many a ridge almost bare or bare from gypsy moths

Keep em, we're about to launch our fresh annual Spotted Lantern Fly batch. I was kind of hoping the cicadas would find a taste for them since they were not here 17 years ago.

 

[farmer steve]

Hey Jere. My buddy planted sapling saw tooth oaks back when the last hatch was. He thought the trees wouldn't make it but they did. You can still see some of the scars on the limbs. If you can keep it watered

 

[merc_man]

Be glad your not up here in. Northcentral pa...many a ridge almost bare or bare from gypsy moths

Yes they terable in southern ontario too. Some bushes look like its fall with no leaves

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[Marine5068]

Yes they terable in southern ontario too. Some bushes look like its fall with no leaves

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Sure you're not thinking of our Gypsy moth infestation here across Ontario?
That's the one causing everyone here all the tree damage now.
It's caterpillars have defoliated all of my Red Oaks, Maples, Apples, and started on the Hickories and lots of other trees as well.
No tree canopies left in some areas.
Just about done here now most trees re-leafing now.
I haven't read anything about Cicada damage around here yet.