In the article “The Y5Cafe Community Discusses How to Eradicate Cicadas!” we already exchanged many ideas on dealing with cicadas. Today, Y5Cafe presents an article by Mr. Lê@ as the opening shot in a full-scale campaign to control these insects—because now is the perfect time for coffee farmers to join forces and fight the pest.
The Source of the Damage
This season, the familiar sound of cicadas rings everywhere. For many, that buzzing is a bittersweet reminder of school days and summer farewells. In English cicadas are sometimes nicknamed “dry flies,” a term coined in South America after people noticed the dry shells left clinging to tree trunks when nymphs molt into adults.
Cicadas are a superfamily of insects with life cycles ranging from 2 to 5 years. But the species troubling coffee farmers—Magicicada—has an especially long cycle, typically 17 years (sometimes 13).
“March, when the bees gather nectar,” is exactly when the cicadas emerge. Nymphs crawl up from underground, shed their skins, and become adults. The males sing their famous high-pitched call to attract females. After mating, each female cuts slits in tree branches to lay around 200 eggs in total. The adults live only about a month. Six to eight weeks later the eggs hatch, and the new nymphs drop to the soil, burrow 0.3–2.5 m underground, and feed on plant roots—often for 17 years—before emerging again.
Over many years these insects have devastated countless thriving coffee plantations. Farmers have tried every method they can think of, and chemical researchers admit defeat—no effective pesticide exists. Why? In large part because people themselves upset the natural balance. Some once applied mixtures of chemical fats to kill ants; as the ants disappeared, cicada eggs were left unguarded and thrived. Today, when you enter some plantations, cicada droppings fall like rain and adults fly in clouds that can knock people off their feet.
Natural Enemies Lost
The real culprit is the loss of natural predators—creatures such as dragonflies, predatory beetles, tailorbirds and especially yellow weaver ants. Without these “beneficial insects,” cicada populations explode unchecked.
How Farmers Can Fight Back
The key is to restore those natural enemies and target cicadas before they reproduce. To reintroduce yellow weaver ants, farmers can collect ant nests from moist, shady places, carefully cut the branch holding the nest, and bring it back to their coffee gardens. Hanging a little fatty meat on the branch encourages the ants to settle. These ants not only eat cicada eggs but also help control black ants and mealybugs.
Because adult cicadas live only about a month, the best time to catch them is before they lay eggs. At night, set out bright lights—electric lamps, battery lanterns, or even small bonfires—to attract cicadas and capture them by hand. By day, use homemade nets to sweep them from branches.
Interestingly, in rural Vietnam cicadas are even considered a delicacy: cleaned, wings removed, stir-fried with shallots and peanuts and served with crispy rice paper.
Act quickly—each breeding season is short. If communities persist for several years, the cicada will no longer be a menace, just a nostalgic summer song that soothes the soul on hot afternoons.