How to Properly Dispose of Cicadas
Managing the Insect Invasion in Illinois
As Illinois braces itself for the emergence of cicadas in 2024, residents are gearing up for a buzzing flurry of activity. With billions of noisy insects expected to emerge from their underground homes, it’s important to understand proper disposal methods of these insects. Here in the suburbs of Chicago and in NW Indiana, we expect to see a lot of these bugs.
Cicadas play a vital role in the ecosystem, but their mass emergence leaves behind billions of exoskeletons and dead insects when their lifecycle is complete. Disposing of cicadas in the wrong containers such as yard waste or recycling carts, will cause contamination to recycling and yard waste processes.
How to Dispose of Cicadas
When it comes down to it, there is no action that is needed to deal with cicadas. They are part of a natural process and will soon be gone. But, if you get tired of running them over on your driveway or squashing them on your porch, here are some helpful disposal guidelines.
Dry Exoskeleton: Place in Garbage
Dead Adult Cicada: Place in Garbage
Please do not place cicadas or their exoskeletons in your recycling cart or yard waste cart.
Cicada Disposal Guidelines
Garbage Carts: If you get the urge to clean up some of these winged friends, please dispose of cicadas by placing them in your regular garbage cart. We recommend that they are securely bagged to prevent any odors.
Yard Waste Carts: Do NOT place cicadas in your yard waste cart. It may seem like a natural choice, but yard waste carts are for grass clippings, small branches and leaves. Introducing large concentrated volumes of dead cicadas (billions?) from tens of thousands of homes could overwhelm local composting facilities and disrupt the organic decomposition process. So again, yes cicadas are good for the soil in “regular” volumes, feel free to include them in your personal composting bins or personal fertilizing efforts.
Recycling Carts: Do NOT place cicadas in your recycling cart. Cicadas are not recyclable materials and will contaminate the recycling stream. The recycling sorting facilities are not built to handle animals or organic material.
Other Cicada Disposal Ideas
Composting: If you have a personal compost pile or bin, consider composting some of your cicadas instead of throwing them in the trash. Cicadas are rich in nitrogen and can contribute valuable nutrients to your compost.
Burying: Another eco-friendly option is to bury cicadas in your garden or yard. Dig a hole, place the cicadas inside, and cover them with soil. Over time, they will decompose and enrich the soil.
Animal Feed: Some pet owners and farmers may choose to feed cicadas to their animals. Birds, chickens, and other small animals often enjoy cicadas as a protein-rich treat. Local wild animals will also take advantage of this temporary feast.
Above: Cicadas leave behind a exoskeleton as they mature and become adults.
After the Cicada comes out of the ground, it crawls up the nearest tree, plant, or tall surface and breaks free from its exoskeleton and is then ready to mate. The exoskeleton, a thin, dry, lifeless sort of husk is left behind, lightly clinging to the surface.
After the adult cicada mates and lays eggs on a tree or tall surface, its life cycle is over and it drops dead to the earth. If you wish to dispose of them in order to clean up your sidewalk or driveway, please place cicadas in your garbage cart. Do not place them in your recycling cart or yard waste cart. Learn more about the cicada lifespan on the Smithsonian website or on the Will County Forest Preserve Website.
More About Cicadas
Cicadas are insects known for their loud buzzing calls and their coordinated emergence. Here in Illinois and NW Indiana we will encounter Brood XIII, also known as the “Great Northern Brood”. It is one of the largest and well-known broods of periodical cicadas in the United States. These insects spend most of their lives underground feeding on tree roots before emerging together every 17 years to mate and lay eggs. While their emergence can be a spectacle of nature, it also presents disposal challenges for residents and garbage collectors.
Proper disposal practices are essential for managing the influx responsibly. If you wish to clean up your property of cicadas please bag them and place them in your garbage cart along with your other household waste. We’ll be there each week to dispose of them. Let’s embrace this natural phenomenon while also taking steps to ensure our communities remain clean and healthy.