Periodical Cicada Returns.

Last appearing in 1998, Brood XIX of periodical cicada will pupate into adulthood and join us above ground this spring. Brood XIX is a 13-year cicada grouping that stretches from Missouri to Illinois and south into northern Louisiana then east to North Carolina.

Periodical Cicada will start to emerge from late April to early May and be around into early July. They are large insects ranging from .75 to 1.5 inches long. Individuals can scare some people as they accidentally fly into them. The males will fly to the top of trees with sunny leaves and start to sing to attract a mate. The large number singing will develop into a joint cadence. The volume of the singing can become annoying. After mating, females will look for small twigs, preferably 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter, to lay eggs in. The female inserts a saw-like ovipositor to open a slit in the twig where she will lay her eggs in it. She will repeat this multiple times possibly creating a continuous slit along the twig. The nymphs will hatch after 6 to 10 weeks, then drop to the ground to burrow in and feed on tree roots.

The sheer numbers of cicada all at one time will ensure most trees will have some damage—apple, pear, dogwood, oak and hickory are favorite hosts. Branches with severe damage will have twig dieback. On larger, established trees this will not be a problem for tree health, but will create a short term visual of brown leaves. Highly valued ornamental trees, young trees, and small shrubs may be protected by wrapping with mesh cloth with openings less than 3/8 inch. Be sure to tie the cloth tightly around the trunk to prevent cicada from climbing in from below. While sensitive to some protective chemicals, female cicada usually will be able to lay some eggs before succumbing.

Corrective pruning of small damaged trees in the winter may be needed to re-establish a central leader of the main stem.

Folks often complain about how long it takes ta get things done when dealin’ with the government. Red tape, bureaucracts, and the like. The fact is, our form a government was intentionally structured so as ta make things hard ta change.

In fact in a lot a cases, it’s more frustratin’ for elected officials to change things than it is for the rest of us. ‘Course that’s why the system is built the way it is.

Although it’s easy to understand wantin’ to hurry up the process, even the appearance of public officials tryin’ to bypass the normal procedure typically results in the erosion of public confidence.

Cards can be played close to the vest, but even in a friendly game, it’s best ta keep your hands above the table.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Weekly Column

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Split Outdoor Pipe Disables Spigot

Q: I’m not sure how, but when checking the outdoor spigots this spring I noticed that the steel pipe behind one of them had swelled and split. I had turned off water to this pipe last fall so I’m not sure how this happened, and I don’t see any water damage in the basement. Why did this occur? What’s the cheapest fix so I can use this spigot again soon? -- Frank T., Dover, N.H.

A: I’m not sure exactly why it happened either. Perhaps if the tap wasn’t fully drained after you turned off water at the nearest shutoff valve, perhaps some water pooled just behind the spigot and, when a hard freeze occurred, the water froze, expanded and split the pipe.

I’m also not sure there’s a truly cheap fix for this. Duct tape will keep water from spraying all over the place but won’t stop a leak and will quickly break down. You need to keep the water turned off and the pipe drained, and contact a plumber as soon as possible. The pipe will need to be replaced, perhaps all the way back to the shutoff valve.

Get a written estimate -- two or more if you’re not sure how much the job should cost -- and decide from there when and how you’ll have the pipe replaced. Because it sounds like you’ve got galvanized steel pipe, the plumber will recommend a different material (galvanized steel isn’t used anymore -- period) and he or she may recommend replacing all the steel pipes, though probably not all at once.

Meantime, it would be a good idea to check all of the other pipes leading outside for similar damage. Hopefully, that’s the only one you have to deal with right now. Also, since the Northeast is still at risk in April of more hard freezes occurring, keep the outside spigots turned off and drained for a few more weeks. Homes with newer plumbing don’t have to worry as much about outside pipes freezing and splitting in early spring, but older pipe systems need to be more closely watched.