CHAMAPIGN COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — With the 13 and 17-year broods dying off across Central Illinois, people are wondering what’s next — especially for their trees.

One Urbana-based landscaper, Chandler Womack, said some may see damaged branches.

Morton Arboretum shares post-cicada tree care tips

To fix it, he suggests putting down slow-release fertilizer to encourage better root growth. If you’re eager to get the nets off your trees, Womack said to be cautious and observe your yard first.

“It’s important to kind of just gauge your environment and see if those cicadas really have left the area, because even some of those last remaining ones could still lay their eggs on the underside of those branches. So, it would be prudent to keep that up.”

Womack said that if you’re cicada-free, this would be a good time to start planting your flowers, trees and shrubs.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.