Roger McMullan, of Salt Lake City, is a lifelong enthusiast of the periodical cicada and author/illustrator of the new graphic novel "Cicadapocalypse," aiming to educate young, curious minds about the mysterious and fascinating insect. The graphic novel is packed with cicada facts and a thrilling, fun narrative that children will enjoy.Â
Lee Enterprises chatted with Roger to dispel some common misconceptions about the beady-eyed little insect and help us understand the local impact when the cicadas invade starting this May.
His graphic novel is due out in April and can be pre-ordered at the link:Â https://mcmullanhouse.org/portfolio/cicadapocalypse/
Lee Enterprises: How will the cicada emergence affect the day-to-day operations for farmers in the ag industry? Is it true they add nutrients to the soil?
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Roger McMullan: Cicadas tend to live where there are trees, so they likely won't affect agriculture. And again, they aren't locust and won't bite, sting, chew or otherwise affect plants. Some female cicadas, when laying eggs, can damage saplings or small bushes because they lay their eggs in pencil-size branches, but this isn't a problem with mature trees. Their exuviae (shells), wings, and carcasses indeed enrich the soil, and the insects' emergence holes also provide aeration of the soil.
LE: How do cicadas help out our ecosystem?
RM: The aeration of the soil, the nutrient enrichment from their bodies and the fact that they feed a massive amount of other animals. While there is often a boom in population of cicada predators when they emerge (or the year or so after), there is also often a crash because the cicada food source isn't there the following year.Â
LE: People often complain about the loud mating call, and there seems to be some credence to it – with decibels reaching close to 100 decibels. What kind of decibels have you personally recorded? Should sensitive people wear ear plugs?
RM: This is true. I have not personally recorded it, but most people report decibels in the mid 80s to mid 90s, which is similar to a lawn mower or motorcycle. Like any loud noises, if you plan for prolonged exposure, ear plugs or other noise cancelling devices are recommended.
LE: Will our gutters be full of cicadas?
RM: It depends on the density of the population, but it's definitely possible. The majority of actual insects tend to dwell in the trees or on plants.
LE: How does the laying of eggs affect tree populations?
RM: Only small saplings can be damaged and can be covered in cloth netting to stay safe from being damaged by the females laying eggs.
LE: Does the cicada emergence cause problems at the zoo?
RM:Â Most animals eat them and enjoy them, so I'm not aware of any problems. I've seen some people mention their dog eating too much and throwing them up...
LE: Should people attempt to use pesticides on them?
RM: No. Pesticides are generally harmful for everyone. Going back to your question about the ecosystem, pesticides trickle up the food chain and kill the animals you love so very much. You can get a summarized version in this fantastic comic by Rosemary Mosco. In addition, cicadas won't harm you, your plants or anything else! You'll harm yourself more with pesticides than they would harm you.
LE: Do they bite or sting? Are they poisonous?
RM: They don't bite or sting, and they aren't poisonous or venomous. The closest thing to harm they could do is maybe poke you with their beak, looking for sap, but it wouldn't draw blood or leave a welt.
LE: Though rare, there are news reports of cicadas causing actual motorcycle and car crashes. Is this a cause for concern?
RM: I am skeptical of these reports, but any large insect could inhibit your vision. Have you ever had a grasshopper or even a butterfly across the windshield? It's a similar phenomenon. But cicadas generally don't swarm, they just hang out. So while you might get one or two across the windshield, it wouldn't be like a swarm of locusts or mayflies. I was similarly skeptical of the reports about cicadas showing up on doppler radars or delaying Biden's plane.
LE: Mating season is over. Smelly cicada carcasses are everywhere. What should one do to rid their backyard of the smell?
RM: Let nature do its work. Compost is stinky too, but it makes amazing soil, and the smell dissipates in a few weeks. If you really want to mess with your ecosystem, you can always pick up every single one of the stinky cicadas and put them in your compost pile or bury them to centralize the smell. There are also lots of great natural flowers you could plant to help mask it to some degree. Coffee grounds also make good compost and help reduce smells.