By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh;
Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0942
Brood XIII periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) rest on a tree at Big Foot Beach State Park in Lake Geneva on June 12, 2024.
Scattered twig death, commonly known as “flagging,” was recently observed on several trees at Big Foot Beach State Park in Walworth County, where large numbers of 17-year Brood XIII periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) were present. This flagging is likely present in other localized sites in southern Wisconsin that experienced high numbers of cicada emergences.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab’s Periodical Cicadas in Wisconsin webpage has more information about the periodical cicada outbreak.