Cicadas and Deer Repellant - Ask Extension
I just noticed that tens of shrubs and perennials that I've sprayed with Liquid Fence are massively covered with cicadas, while neighboring unsprayed ...
Knowledgebase
Cicadas and Deer Repellant #751509
Asked May 22, 2021, 6:29 PM EDT
I just noticed that tens of shrubs and perennials that I've sprayed with Liquid Fence are massively covered with cicadas, while neighboring unsprayed plants just a foot away have only a few or no cicadas on them. Is there a chemical in Liquid Fence that attracts them?
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
To our knowledge, no, there is no ingredient in deer repellents which would attract cicadas. It may not even be well-understood yet how much "smell" matters to them as adults as they seek mates and egg-laying sites. It's likely either coincidence, or perhaps wild animals that would otherwise be consuming some of the low-to-the-ground cicadas (foxes, raccoons, squirrels, etc.) avoid the sprayed areas because of the repellent itself, leaving more of the cicadas there uneaten.
Miri
Thanks so much!