Latest news with #UniversityofTennesseeInstituteofAgriculture
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
17-year brood of cicadas expected to emerge in East Tennessee in a few weeks
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Most of East Tennessee will soon hear and see a brood of cicadas that were laid as eggs in 2008. According to the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Brood XIV is expected to emerge in late April to early May. The cicadas, a 17-year brood, will start to come out of the ground when soil temperatures reach 64 degrees at an 8-inch depth. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Fifteen broods of cicadas have been identified by scientists; Brood XIV is one of 12 that develop for 17 years underground. During that time, the larval form of the insects feeds on plant roots. In 2024, Brood XIX, a 13-year brood, emerged in much of Middle and Southeastern Tennessee. However, Brood XIX is expected to have a statewide presence with a concentration in East Tennessee, the institute reports. When they emerge, Brood XIV cicadas will start looking for mates. While searching for mates, the cicadas will sing, creating a loud sound that will last for a few weeks in May. The females will lay their eggs by making slits in twigs. The institute stated in a news release that one female can lay 400-600 eggs. The eggs hatch about six or seven weeks later, and the nymphs that spawn from them bury into the soil. The eggs laid by Brood XIV will not emerge until 2042. While above ground, the adult cicadas live for only three to four weeks. Since they do not sting or bite, they are harmless to pets and humans. Once they emerge, they do not feed on foliage. Their egg-laying process can cause some damage to young trees or shrubs. The institute recommends using cheesecloth or tobacco canvas to protect young or valuable plants. According to the institute, periodical cicadas, like Brood XIV, differ from annual cicadas in a few ways. Periodical cicadas are about 1-1.5 inches long and are mostly black with reddish-orange eyes. Their legs and wing veins mimic their eyes in color. Annual adult cicadas are larger, at about 1.5-2.5 inches long. They also have a green and brown pattern or a green and black pattern with primarily white or gray undersides. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Resolution seeks study on impact of Bradford pear tree in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — There is a new proposal to look at the effects of a well-known tree that some say should be banned in Tennessee, the Bradford pear. Rep. Clay Doggett (R-Pulaski) is encouraging colleagues to support a statewide study of the impact of the Bradford pear. Experts believe many of the impacts are negative, including the crowding out native plants, the trees' rapid spread and the vulnerability of the tree to strong storms. The resolution claims the Bradford Pear is now in more than half the counties in Tennessee. Bradford Pear HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 150Download Nashville hot chicken up for official state food in Tennessee legislature 'They just disrupt ecosystems, I definitely think they should not be planted in any capacity whatsoever, any outright ban would be a win for the state of Tennessee,' explained Jason Sprouls with the Nashville Tree Foundation. South Carolina has just joined the list of states banning the Bradford pear tree, which includes Ohio and Pennsylvania. Other states are also considering bans. The resolution will be discussed Tuesday by a state house committee, which would urge the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture to do a study looking at the effect the Bradford pear tree has on agriculture and forestry in the state. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
