Latest news with #MidhulaGireesh
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
17-year brood of cicadas set to emerge in Middle Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Middle Tennessee will soon get a little noisier thanks to a 17-year brood of cicadas set to emerge. Brood XIV, which Middle Tennesseans will start to see between late April and early May, last emerged in 2008. '[The cicadas getting ready to emerge] are found approximately eight inches deep. When the temperature there reaches like 64 degrees Fahrenheit and when there is a good rain, is when we'll start seeing them emerging,' Dr. Midhula Gireesh, an assistant professor & extension entomologist with the University of Tennessee, told News 2. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → When they emerge, they will shed their exoskeletons within a few hours. That's when the loud singing they're known for starts — and that sound is tied to mating.'All this can be around like four weeks to six weeks maximum,' Gireesh said. 'Once the egg-laying process is done, the adults die off.' Cicadas lay their eggs in the new growth of trees, specifically younger ones. However, local horticulturists say not to worry too much.'You might see a little bit of die back, browning, whatever — but it's not going to kill a whole tree,' Austin Lohin, a horticulturist with Bates Nursery and Garden Center, said. 'Honestly, even a small tree rarely ever dies because of cicada damage.' ⏩ Last year's brood brought about one million cicadas per acre. While it's unclear exactly how many will emerge this year, the brood will be in about a dozen other states. Cicadas are relatively harmless — at least to humans and pets. They don't bite or sting and they can't transmit disease. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What to know about June bugs and how they threaten Tennessee plants, lawns and screens
The first round of June bugs is making its way into Middle Tennessee, and while the little beetle with the cute summer name might seem every bit as adorable as said name might imply, it can bring destruction to plants and lawns, windows and porch screens. The bugs emerge from the soil as temperatures warm, and they're weak flyers, often crashing into windows and porch screens, lending them a "screen thumpers" nickname, according to Midhula Gireesh, assistant professor and extension specialist for the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology for the University of Tennessee Central District. The nocturnal insect is also known as the scarab beetle and is between one-half to an inch long. Beetles in the genus Phyllophaga are known as June bugs. Gireesh said they are also known as May or June beetles. Adult beetles are commonly seen flying toward light during late spring and early summer evenings. "The color of June bugs varies from reddish-brown to almost black... Depending on the species, June bugs have a life cycle of 1-2 years," Gireesh said. The emerging larvae of June bugs are known as white grubs. It's not completely clear how the well-known moniker came about, but it's likely connected to the fact that adult June bugs 'emerge from the soil at the end of spring or the beginning of the summer,' according to Terminix, a pest control service. They spend most of their lives underground, in the soil feeding on grass roots, much like cicadas, another bug inundating Middle Tennessee, until they emerge to feed on greenery and hang out by nearby light sources, especially during evening or nighttime hours. A June bug's larval stages can be the most destructive to a person's lawn and plants, Gireesh said, noting that feeding results in a yellowing or browning of vegetation, much like one would see during drought-like conditions. "Heavy infestations can make the ground spongy to the step. More damage occurs when predators like moles, birds, skunks, raccoons or armadillos dig up the turf when hunting for the grubs," Gireesh said. A small number of June bugs can be beneficial to lawns, much like cicadas, because they tunnel into the ground to create soil aeration, Gireesh said. "Excessive tunneling eventually damages the law by breaking the bond between plant roots and soil," Gireesh said. "This makes it challenging for the turf to receive water and nutrients, resulting in serious damage." Before mitigation tactics are discussed, it's best to make sure there is actually a June bug infestation. Damage to turf grass and dead grass patches are a tell-tale sign that baby June bugs have been munching on the greenery in a yard or garden, Good Housekeeping reports. A local pest control company can help control the population. Deterrent sprays, an electric light that targets insects, or commercial beetle traps are also available for do-it-yourselfers. "The best way to prevent June bugs from devouring your lawn is by '"making it inhospitable to their larvae,"' according to Terminix. "You can help maintain a healthy lawn by overseeding thinned-out areas of your turf." USA TODAY reporter Amaris Encinas contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How June bugs could damage your plants, soil and screens
