In this episode of the Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast, you’ll find out what summer work is happening for Wildlife in Michigan’s Southwest, talk bugs with entomologist Howard Russell (Michigan State University’s bug man) and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion on how to handle foxes in the hen house!
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD). You can also email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov, and even send your question as a sound file that you record on your phone to be played on the air!
Episode Hosts: Hannah Schauer and Rachel Leightner
Producer: Eric Hilliard
Around the State Guest: Mark Mills
Main Interview Guest(s): Howard Russell
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD) or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.
In this episode of the Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast, you’ll find out what summer work is happening for Wildlife in Michigan’s Southwest, talk bugs with entomologist Howard Russell (Michigan State University’s bug man) and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion on how to handle foxes in the hen house!
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD). You can also email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov, and even send your question as a sound file that you record on your phone to be played on the air!
Episode Hosts: Hannah Schauer and Rachel Leightner
Producer: Eric Hilliard
Around the State Guest: Mark Mills
Main Interview Guest(s): Howard Russell
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD) or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.
Announcer:
You know what that sound means. It's time for the Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast. Welcome to the Wildtalk Podcast where representatives from the DNR's wildlife division chew the fat and shoot the scat about all things habitat, feathers, and fur. With insights, interviews, and your questions answered on the air, you'll get a better picture of what's happening in the world of wildlife here in the great state of Michigan.
Hannah:
Welcome to Wildtalk. I'm your host Hannah Schauer, and joining me today is the lovely Rachel Leigtner.
Rachel:
Hi Hannah, how are you doing?
Hannah:
I'm doing well. How are you doing today, Rachel?
Rachel:
Oh, just fabulous. Today we'll be getting buggy and talking with Howard, AKA the bug man. He's an entomologist from Michigan State University's Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab. There's been so much buzz about the Brood X cicadas this year that we figured we'd have him on to tell us everything we've been dying to know about the screaming insects and where you can find them in Michigan. Later in the show we'll answer some of your questions from the mailbag. Sometime during the episode we'll also be revealing the winners of our Wildtalk Podcast camp mugs, and you can find out how you can win one too.
Hannah:
We'll also be talking with Mark, one of our wildlife field operation managers and hearing all about spring and summer work going on in the Southwest region of the state. But before that, we are going to shine our wildlife spotlight on the monarch butterfly. The iconic monarch butterfly is one to get excited about seeing around. Perhaps you remember seeing them quite often in the summers, but they're not as common as they once were. The eastern monarch population has been in decline and fluctuating over the past two decades. Monarch have an incredible life cycle for such a small critter.
Rachel:
The monarchs that you see arrive in Michigan in the spring are not the same individuals that left their wintering grounds in Mexico. In fact, they're likely a different generation of individuals altogether than the monarchs that hatched here in Michigan the previous summer. Throughout the course of a single year, there are usually four and sometimes five generations of monarchs.
Hannah:
Yes, it's a little bit mind-boggling, so see if you can follow this. It's a little bit confusing, I'll admit. Hypothetically let's say a monarch hatches in the late summer, about August here in Michigan. Now, this adult Monarch, which is probably the fourth generation that particular year then begins the long journey south to Mexico. This individual will join with thousands of others to complete the journey. When the monarchs reach Mexico, they overwinter in colonies in a forest of oyamel fir trees. I probably pronounced it wrong. But anyway, this very specific habitat colony of fir trees that all the monarchs, thousands and thousands of them hibernate in. Now, these adults if they survive the winter will then leave the wintering grounds in the spring to breed and head north. Now, they stop probably in the Southern United States in about mid March and April when there are milkweed growing in these areas to lay their eggs. Then these adults that have made this incredibly long journey and survived the winter will die.
Hannah:
Now, their offspring will be the first generations of monarchs that year. Those monarchs will continue the journey north to then breed and lay their own eggs. The second generation are born in the Northern portions of the United States and lay eggs about June. The third generation is in July and then the fourth generation is in August. Now, this fourth generation then makes that long journey south and overwinters in Mexico. Hopefully you followed all that. There's a lot of generations in just that one calendar year, so short amount of time. It's pretty mind-boggling.
Rachel:
It is mind-boggling. I wonder if that's the norm for butterfly species or dragon fly species to have that many generations in such a short amount of time. I have no idea, but that's a lot of multigenerational travelers. Throughout the spring and summer months in Michigan, we will see multiple generations of monarchs. Now, besides having these multiple generations in one year, these butterflies also go through several life stages individually. It takes about a month for a monarch to go from an egg to an adult, and the monarch is only an egg for a few days before it hatches into a larva or a caterpillar. The caterpillars, which are iconic, we've all seen a monarch caterpillar I think, they'll grow quickly over the next two weeks, and then they'll form a chrysalis for about two weeks before the adult emerges.
Hannah:
Now, we mentioned milkweed earlier and milkweeds are actually a critical plant to the monarch butterfly life cycle. Without milkweed, we would have probably no monarchs because milkweeds are the only type of plants that monarch caterpillars will feed on. Adults must lay their eggs on milkweed to ensure their young will have adequate food sources for growing. Now, milkweed flowers can also provide important nectar sources for the adults to get the food they need as well as a variety of other pollinating insects as well.
Rachel:
I just found what I think is a monarch egg on a milkweed plant, and it doesn't look anything like what I had expected it to. I had thought that they laid them in egg clutches with multiple eggs, but it's not. It's just a single white pinhead egg on the bottom of the leaf, which was super cool to find. I think we found three altogether. If you've got milkweed, you can start looking for the egg.
Hannah:
I think my favorite milkweed is the butterfly weed that gets those bright orange flowers. Oh, they're just gorgeous. I love those kinds.
Rachel:
Speaking of milkweed. Milkweed are typically found in grassland habitats and grasslands provide a wealth of other flowering plants for pollinators like the monarchs to find some food. Grasslands benefit a host of wildlife species and humans. In order to help conserve the monarch, we must also work to conserve the grassland habitats they depend on here in Michigan.
Hannah:
Now, if you have been fortunate and have spotted any adult monarchs flitting about, or if you've come across caterpillars or eggs, such as Rachel has, please report it to journeynorth.org. This citing data is used to monitor the monarch population. Monarchs are a candidate for listing under the Federal Endangered Species Act and their population status will be under review annually. You can learn more about this candidate status at fws.gov/savethemonarch.
Rachel:
You also can find more information or ways that you can help monarchs and other pollinators as well as the resources we've just mentioned at michigan.gov/monarchs. We'll stick around next. Next we'll be hearing from Mark, finding out what is happening with habitat in the Southwest region.
Announcer:
July is wildlife conservation month. For over 100 years, Michigan has been devoted to preserving and protecting our state's natural wonders. The yodel of the loon, the bugle of a bull elk, and the fluttering of the Mitchell's satyr butterfly could have been lost without dedicated conservation efforts. Celebrate the month by sharing your love for Michigan's natural beauty, purchasing a hunting or fishing license, or donating to the Nongame Wildlife Fund. Let's ensure that our rivers, forests, and wildlife will be enjoyed for generations to come. Learn more at michigan.gov/wildlife.
Hannah:
Welcome back. Here with us today in our virtual recording studio is Mark Mills, a field operations manager in the Southwest region. Welcome to the show, Mark, and thanks for joining us today.
Mark:
Oh, thanks for having us today.
Hannah:
What are some of the key projects Southwest wildlife staff will be focused on throughout the next spring and summer season?
Mark:
Spring and early summer is definitely a busy time for field staff out in the Southwest region. We have a multitude of activities taking place, including installing food plots and hunter concealment strips at the state game areas. We have timber sales that are either initiated or getting closed out to do some habitat work on a lot of the state game areas across the region. Of course we always have wildlife running around. We're fielding a lot of calls about abandoned baby wildlife, which we're of course spreading the word to leave them where they are whenever possible, because usually mom has things in hand and when we grab them, we're more likely to cause damage to those babies when we think we're trying to help. That's a big one that we're dealing with throughout the spring.
Mark:
In particular, this spring, we had a very good prescribed fire season in the Southwest region. We completed over 30 burns at last count, and we were able to apply fire to the landscape to manage habitat, including removal of invasive species or woody species, and restored grasslands and savannas. That tool is something that can be unpredictable, but we have a really good team on the ground. We work very closely with forest resources division fire staff in the region, and we're able to successfully burn many of the acres that we've been trying to get to for quite some time.
Hannah:
Why are you doing that? What are some of the benefits to those prescribed burns?
Mark:
We use fire as a tool for habitat management and habitat improvement to accomplish many different goals, depending on situations. Prairies are different goals versus a forested landscape. On a prairie type grass planting or a grassed area, we're usually looking to burn off that dead grass that accumulates over the course of many years. That grass of course is the fuel that the fire consumes. By consuming that fuel we expose the soil that can help different plants get their seeds down to the ground and germinate. It actually can work to restore the grasses themselves by allowing the ground to heat up quicker by releasing certain nutrients back into the soil through the burn. That fuel, as it burns, creates heat that can kill and remove invasive species or woody species that we don't want growing out in these open areas and help to make sure that the sunlight's hitting the ground and we don't have autumn olive or other types of trees and bushes moving into areas where they're undesirable.
Hannah:
It sounds like it has a whole suite of diverse benefits.
Mark:
Yes. It's definitely a tool that we know the Native Americans used and it's one of the most natural tools that we can use. When we can use it we prefer to, because it has a different, more complete effect than say going out and removing undesirable species with chemical herbicides. That is a tool we use, but whenever possible we prefer to use prescribed burns. In a forested setting, we'll use prescribed burns for all sorts of different reasons as well. With fire suppression that's happened over the course of the last couple of hundred years, we're finding that many areas that would be oak trees for instance are being overcome by these shade-tolerant species like red maple, that aren't as beneficial to wildlife and habitat as an oak tree might be. By using fire in the understory of an oak stand, we can reduce that competition of shade-tolerant, undesirable trees, and provide nutrients and sunlight to the ground for the larger oak trees, but also access for those acorns to get down into the soil and sprout and start the next generation of oak trees in a stand.
Rachel:
That's wonderful. Who else besides wildlife and native biodiversity, who benefits from this kind of habitat improvement? Will hunters see any type of benefit? Will wildlife viewers?
Mark:
It is interesting to see how people key in on these areas we burn because the mushroom hunters they're like, "Where have you burned lately?" Because folks that are out hunting for mushrooms like to get in these burned over areas because for some reason, whether it's mushrooms are more visible because the leaf layer is burned off or there's actually more mushrooms, it's a desirable spot for mushroom hunters. Of course, we're trying to thin out the understory, in a lot of circumstances, of these forested areas and so visibility's actually better. A lot of wildlife viewers like it because you can see further through the forest. Of course the turkey hunters are always keying in on these areas that we're burning in the spring because, you're burning off all this dead material, you're exposing the ground. You have fresh regeneration growing in underneath, whether it's herbaceous plants growing back. There's an abundant availability of food resources very quickly after a burn. There's all sorts of folks from hunters, to wildlife viewers, to mushroom pickers that really key in on these burned over areas in part of their recreational activities.
Rachel:
How about, you got any other improvements or habitat projects going on that benefit one particular species or one particular habitat type?
Mark:
We have a lot of focus this year with some specific grants on pollinators, grasslands, and savannas. There's been a huge push to provide funding for savanna habitat. If you don't know how to savanna is, it's large trees that are spaced out with a grassy understory. It almost feels like a park-like setting where you have big trees with lawn underneath, except we don't have lawn underneath we have different grass and herbaceous plants under there. We're using those funds this year to do a lot of that grassland work with invasive species removal, with pollinator species. We're actually taking these flowering plants that are really good for pollinating insects. When I say pollinators, we're talking about pollinating insects and improving different areas of grasslands and savannas primarily with a greater diversity of these flowering plant species to improve pollinator habitat, because pollinators are starting to dwindle.
Mark:
We were talking to an entomologist last week and he really was saying to me, and this is not necessarily a scientific observation but an observation from an expert, that it has been extremely noticeable the reduction in pollinator species. We're trying to make sure we support that suite of species, which are really at the base of our food chain, with these different habitat improvement projects. Along the way we also have a lot of wetland improvement projects where we are improving some fen habitats down here in Portage at Gourdneck State Game Area for some specific endangered species including, massasauga rattlesnakes, and spotted turtles, and a suite of rare plant species. We're using those funds to remove a lot of invasive species from these fen areas that are highly important, including broadleaf cattail, phragmites, glossy buckthorn, some of the big names that you hear thrown around a lot. It's expensive work, but if we don't attack the invasive spreads in these areas we'll lose those habitats that those species depend on.
Mark:
We're seeing a lot of wetland work in natural wetlands, but also in wetlands where we have dikes and dams and water control structures to make sure that we keep up on our maintenance of those. You might be surprised that we have investments in dams and dikes and water control structures where we can flood and drain specific areas. But what we've found is that these areas are very good at mimicking what might have been available in a natural system and providing important habitat for rare species like black terns for instance. A lot of times we really put our focus on waterfowl species because we have waterfowl hunting and waterfowl viewing. But what is also just behind the scenes, but also very important, is the other suite of species that depend on those areas.
Mark:
We're taking it very seriously and putting some money and some effort into some larger restoration projects. One of which being the dikes at Zone 7 at the Fennville Farm Unit of Allegan State Game Area. That's been a project that we worked on in conjunction with Ducks Unlimited. It's been quite a few years in the making and we've accumulated the funding and the contracting to get that work done yet this summer.
Hannah:
Well, that's great. I know you've touched on a few of the larger projects, but are there any projects that might specifically impact visitors to a specific game or wildlife area? Any closures that folks should be aware of?
Mark:
Yes. There are some rule changes coming up specific to shooting at some of the state game areas in the Southwest region, primarily Muskegon State Game Area. During the past few years we have seen a huge increase in folks going out and target shooting on state game areas. The result in some areas has been a level of intensity of use that is not something that we can support on the landscape. Up at Muskegon they had a specific area where people just started shooting and it intensified. They might be out there doing something completely legal, shooting at a paper target for instance, but the intensity of the use and the accumulation of debris that invariably comes with shooting, and the impact on natural resources in these areas is becoming affected. We are working to close some areas to target shooting just to manage that use.
Mark:
As we move forward with closing these areas, we are seeking to improve the shooting at specific areas. For instance, last few years we installed a developed shooting range at Echo Point in Allegan. We're working on making sure that that's a safe and usable shooting area. We're also working on doing maybe some sound alterations there to make it a little more compatible with the neighborhood. We are also developing a shooting range out at Barry State Game Area off M-179 west of Hastings to provide a similar opportunity where we've closed an informal shooting area and are going to build a formal shooting range open to rifles, and handguns, and probably clay targets at that location to supply an opportunity for the users that really want to get out there and shoot, but want to shoot somewhere with benches and with target backers, and with maintenance, and with safety rules. Where the downrange shooting will be directed away from homes and the sound will be better controlled than in the current situation that was available out at Barry. We are seeing some land use changes out there and some new opportunities that we expect to open up within the next year or so.
Hannah:
Great, well thanks Mark. We really appreciate all of the great work for wildlife that's happening across the Southwest portion of the state. We really appreciate you sharing those updates with us. Next month we will be hearing an update from the Northern Lower region. For our listeners, next up we'll be chatting with Howard about cicadas so don't go anywhere.
Announcer:
Did you know that you can take your hunting and fishing regulations with you wherever you go? Have access to the information you need when you need it right on your smartphone. Just visit michigan.gov/dnrdigest to download the applicable hunting digest before you head out to the woods or the Michigan Fishing Guide before you hit the water. Download the most up-to-date regulations available today at michigan.gov/dnrdigest.
Rachel:
Welcome back to Wildtalk. Today we have a guest, Mr. Howard Russell. He's from Michigan State, and he's an entomologist in the plant and pest diagnostic lab, but also more notably known as the bug man. Mr. Howard, thank you so much for joining us today.
Howard:
Well, it's my pleasure. Thank you very much for having me on.
Rachel:
You are with Michigan State. Why don't you tell us a little bit about your current role there? More specifically, I would like to know if bug man is your official title.
Howard:
It is not, but I guess it's my unofficial title. That comes from my email address, which is bugman@msu.edu. My current role here at MSU is I work in the plant and pest diagnostic lab with four or five other diagnosticians. Our job is to diagnose plant problems that growers, homeowners, and others may run into in their yards, or fields, or greenhouses, or whatever you have. My specific job in that is to evaluate plant damage in terms of insects and mites. My responsibility also is to identify any mite, insect, pretty much anything that comes in the lab that's not a plant or a plant pathogen. I've IDd snakes, scat, mammals, weird things that people find in their cars or woodlots or whatever. Anything weird that comes in the lab it normally falls onto my inbox.
Hannah:
It certainly sounds like an interesting job then.
Howard:
The people I deal with make it very interesting. The bugs are routine. The people that I talk to and exchange emails with, they make the job interesting.
Hannah:
What exactly got you into bugs? Have you always been, or what's the story?
Howard:
No. I fell into it back in the '70s. I had just finished my undergrad degree and was thinking about going on for a teaching certificate, and I was looking for work. I ran across the job that my mom had talked to somebody up where I grew up. That lady told my mother that her daughter was leaving a job with an entomologist and there might be a job opening up. That morning I had an interview with that entomologist and I also had an interview in the physics department putting the equipment together. I interviewed with the entomologist and he hired me on the spot, and then I applied to graduate school in entomology. I finished up that and the department of entomology at MSU hired me, and I've been here ever since, and that was 41 years in last March, so I've been here a while.
Rachel:
Sounds like it certainly was an interesting career then.
Howard:
It is, and I still consider myself a student of entomology. I mean, there's so many different bugs and there's so many different situations that insects can occur in. Then there's the people aspect and you combine those things. It makes for a pretty interesting career.
Hannah:
We are particularly interested in learning more about cicadas. There's been a lot of chatter, pun intended, about cicadas and Brood X specifically. Can you tell us a little bit about what Brood X is and why it's so important?
Howard:
Well, Brood X is one of 12 broods of 17-year periodical cicadas, and Brood X is the largest of the 17-year broods in terms of geography. Michigan is the Northern edge of the range, and it occurs all the way to Washington DC and as far south as Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia. It's covers a fairly large area. Periodical cicadas are unique to all insects in that they, one, have one of the longest life cycles and two, that they have synchronous emergence. One particular brood will emerge about the same time throughout its range. When they do that, they emerge by the millions. There's been estimates of up to a million and a half cicadas per acre in some areas where they occur. That's a lot of insects. They're very loud. The males form these very large and loud choruses in an attempt to attract a mate. That's what makes them unique.
Hannah:
All the different broods of periodical cicadas have different timings as to what years they emerge?
Howard:
Right. Each brood has its own time. There's a few places where broods overlap, but in general they have their own range and areas where they occur.
Hannah:
As far as Brood X goes, why do they emerge after 17 years? That's a very specific timeframe. Can you explain why it's-
Howard:
There's speculation about that. Of course, both 17 and 13 are prime numbers. Some have speculated that is to throw would be predators off. By having such an extended life cycle, predators really can't respond to the occurrence and really take advantage of the periodical cicadas when they do show up. Normally there's a predator response to the availability of large number of prey and predator numbers build on those. But if you only occur every 13 or 17 years, it's really difficult for prey to get a handle on your rhythm. That's one reason some have offered up as to why their life cycles. The long, we have other species of cicadas that we call either dog-day cicadas or annual cicadas, and they occur every year. They have a three or four-year life cycle, so there's no... I mean, the periodical cicadas could probably complete their life cycle in three or four years, but for some reason they extend it out to 13 or 17 years. The best theory is to avoid heavy predation by those animals that eat them.
Hannah:
For those 13 or 17 years, are these cicadas burrowed underground and are they in the same cicada form that we see when they emerge or are they going through some type of transformative stage?
Howard:
Well, the life stages that occur in the soil feeding on tree roots are nymphs. They lack external genitalia as well as wings, but they are equipped with front legs that are modified to assist in digging and burrowing through the soil. As nymphs, their morphology serves them in terms of burrowing. Of course as adults they're equipped with wings, which serves them in terms of flying off and finding a mate.
Rachel:
As far as the adult goes after they've emerged in the spring, do they stick around the same area or do they move somewhere else? Do they travel great distances or they stay?
Howard:
They do not travel great distances as far as I can tell. Once they emerge they spend a day or so letting their exoskeleton harden down so their wings are functional and their noise making organ is functional. Once that happens, they fly to the tree tops normally, and many times, in the very same woodlot that they emerged from. That's where they stay and carry on. Yeah, they don't move very much.
Rachel:
You mentioned they climb to the top of the trees. Are there any particular tree species or specific type of habitats they prefer to live in?
Howard:
Well, they like deciduous trees and they like old forest, old woodlots, old parks with mature trees that have been there for a long time. I mean, periodical cicadas only occur where adults of the previous emergence laid eggs in those trees.
Rachel:
Got you. Okay, I want to recap these life stages real quickly because what you just said surprised me. The cicadas are going to, they're going to mate and then they're going to lay the eggs in the tree, and then nymphs will hatch and burrow into the ground. Is that correct?
Howard:
That's correct. The females have a ovipositor that they use to slit a small twig, generally about the size of a pencil. They're pretty selective in terms of the size of the twig. In that slit they'll lay a dozen up to maybe three dozen eggs in that slit. The eggs mature for a period of, I think it's like four or five weeks. They hatch then the newly hatched nymphs drop to the soil. They dig their way in and they may feed on a grass root or other types of vegetation roots before finding the tree root. But eventually they settle on a tree root and they then spend the next 17 years feeding on tree sap. They undergo molts underground until they're about mature nymphs ready to hatch into the adults are about just over an inch or an inch and a quarter long.
Howard:
Then just prior to emergence, the nymphs then dig tunnels to the ground or up to the surface. Then when the soil temperatures reach about 64 degrees, that's the trigger for them to mass emerge. Then they climb up the nearby tree near where they emerged from and they may stay on the bark, they may crawl up into the leaves or whatever. But then at that point they split down the back and out comes the new adult and we refer to those as [inaudible 00:33:05] adults and they're very light colored, almost white at that point before their exoskeleton hardens down. The new adults will sit there until their wings and bodies harden to the point where they can fly off and carry on with adult activities.
Hannah:
Now is your opportunity to win a Wildtalk podcast mug. As a thank you to our listeners, we'll be giving away a mug or two every episode.
Rachel:
Our June mug winners are Jill Coleman and Ted Truswell. Check your email and we'll be getting in touch with you soon. They answered the question, what plant generates heat around it's flower to melt the snow? The answer was skunk cabbage. Many wildlife species eat this plant because it's an early bloomer and blooming in late winter or early spring. It's one of the first things to pop up out of the ground. It's an accessible food source for many wildlife species, things like Canada geese and black bears both enjoy eating this smelly plant.
Hannah:
To be entered into the drawing this month, test your wildlife knowledge and answer our wildlife quiz question. This month's question is, how many times does a ruby-throated hummingbird flap its wings per second?
Rachel:
Once you come up with an answer, email us your name and answer to us at dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov to be entered for a chance to win a mug. Be sure to include the subject line as mug me and submit your answers by July 15th. We'll announce winners and the answers on next month's podcast, so be sure to listen in to see if you've won and for the next quiz question.
Hannah:
Good luck everybody. Now back to the show.
Rachel:
Wow! It's quite the intense life cycle. Now, with millions of these guys emerging and feeding on trees and laying their eggs in trees, is that detrimental to trees or does it hurt the trees in any ways, or can most trees sustain this kind of foraging?
Howard:
The nymphs do very little damage to the trees. Their impact is negligible. The adult cicadas really don't feed all that much. They may take a little bit of plant sap early on, but by and large they don't feed as adults. They live on the fat stores accumulated by the nymphs. The only damage they do to the mature trees is when they lay their eggs. Generally the branch that the female selects dies above the point where she laid her eggs in it. As the summer progresses that branch tip will flag or die. The trees that they have utilized, the ends of the branches are brown compared to the rest of the tree which is green. That pruning really doesn't harm the tree either. The only real significant damage they can do is to very, very young trees that fall within that size range that they lay their eggs on. Some people who have planted young saplings in their yard and the cicadas took advantage and laid their eggs there, they can actually kill young trees if enough eggs are laid and branches die.
Rachel:
Got you, so we don't necessarily need to fear for our gardens or our flower beds when the summer [crosstalk 00:37:00]-
Howard:
Or our pets, or ourselves, or anything like that. No, they're pretty harmless. They can be a nuisance. I actually was down in Ann Arbor this past weekend to see the spectacle. I didn't see a lot of... I went to the Cherry Hill Nature Preserve outside of Ann Arbor on the east side of Ann Arbor. I was a little late. I missed, I think, the emergence by a week or so, so most of the bugs had turned into adults and were up in the very tree tops. There were a few stragglers that I saw on the understory and on small saplings and everything, but most of the cicadas were up in the tree tops and the noise was spectacular. It sounded like a two cycle engine. I mean, they were very, very loud. People have estimated that the choruses of the males may reach 100 decibels, which is like a chainsaw, or a weed wacker, or some other two cycle engine. They're incredibly loud.
Hannah:
Very loud. Yeah. I've got some friends in Ann Arbor who have said they've just been deafening at their house lately. There have been obviously lots of reports of Brood X emerging in Southeastern Michigan. Are there any other places in Michigan that you've heard reports that they're currently emerging, or where can people look for them? Are we getting past that timeframe now?
Howard:
Well, Washtenaw County is the best place to see them. We've had historical reports of them occurring in Cass County, Lenawee County, even Oakland County in Bloomfield Hills. There've been some reports from Hillsdale County, but Washtenaw County is really, there's lots of emergence sites in Washtenaw County. I wouldn't know where to go in the other counties. But there was a paper done back in 2004, prior to that last emergence, by a researcher down at U of M who studied these things, his name was Tom Moore. He had a survey that included Oakland County, many locations in Washtenaw County as well as Cass County, Lenawee County. There had been historical records as far north as Genesee County, but the last record of that emergence in Genesee County I think was in 1910 or something like that. The best opportunity to see them is Washtenaw County.
Hannah:
We've talked to about Brood X and there were other mentions of other cicadas that we can hear throughout the year usually later in summer. I always associate them with those hot, hazy summer days. I believe they're called dog-day, or the annual cicadas which you mentioned before. How do we tell them apart from Brood X cicadas or some of these more periodical cicadas?
Howard:
Well, the dog-day cicadas are quite a bit bigger. Periodical cicadas are black in color with bright orange markings on their wing veins, as well as their legs, and they have bright red eyes. Dog-day cicadas are grayish and grayish green in color. They don't have, their eyes are dark colored, not bright red. They lack the orange markings on their legs and veins. As you said, they occur later in the summer. Normally mid July is when we start to hear them. By that time, of course, the periodical cicadas have all died off. The only thing that remains of them are lots of dead bodies and the viable eggs up in the trees and hope for the next generation.
Hannah:
Great. Well, we really appreciate the insight into cicadas and Brood X. What are some good resources if people have questions about other bugs, insects, spiders, or those kinds of things that you might point people to, to learn more about those?
Howard:
Well, there are several good sites. If you're going to Google a particular bug, or if you're looking for a picture of a bug, it's always best to end your search string with site, S-I-T-E:EDU. That restricts the returns you get from universities. I think they're probably the most trusted source.
Rachel:
That concludes the questions that we had for you. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?
Howard:
Not about cicadas anyway. I mean, Michigan is experiencing a serious outbreak at gypsy moth and I'm getting calls all over the state from people who, I mean, they can't go outside because the caterpillars are pooping and it's raining down everywhere. Gypsy moths are ravaging oak trees in many locations throughout the Lower Peninsula. People are just having to contend with these caterpillars hanging and pooping all over their yards and eating their trees.
Hannah:
What advice would you have for your typical homeowner that maybe has some on their trees or around their property? Is there anything that we can do to... I mean, probably not a whole lot to eliminate them but to dissuade them or get them to move on?
Howard:
Well, the recommendation from our forest entomologist is to do nothing in woodlots and forests, and really let this outbreak run its cycle. Let the natural enemies and disease agents bring about control of the outbreak. It's important for homeowners to reduce any additional stress that their defoliated trees may face. The best way to do that is to make sure that they have plenty of water. Stress on your trees is important. Then homeowners can if they want, they can spray their trees, they can put bands around their trees. Gypsy moth caterpillars move up and down the trunk and you can trap the caterpillars under burlap or something like that, but you have to go out every morning and brush them off into a pail of water and that will help reduce their numbers.
Rachel:
Are gypsy moths considered an invasive species in Michigan?
Howard:
Well, they're naturalized. I mean, they've been here for so long, but they are definitely an invasive species. They're not native to the United States. They were brought here and they were released back in Massachusetts. I can't remember when, but I think it was the 1800s by somebody who thought they could use gypsy moths to produce silk.
Rachel:
Fascinating. Thanks for shedding some light on the gypsy moth. You hear, in passing, people have problems with gypsy moths, but I didn't realize it was this severe and that there are things we can actually do to protect our trees, especially in our yards. Thanks for shedding some light on that. Thanks so much for joining us today, Howard. It was a fascinating conversation about all things cicadas, and we really appreciate you joining us today. To our listeners, stay put. Up next we'll be looking into the mailbag and answering some of your questions.
Announcer:
There are many camping and lodging opportunities available in Michigan state parks. When you choose state park campgrounds, you get more than just a campsite. State parks offer a diverse range of recreational opportunities, including hands-on instructional classes, nature programs, places to fish, boat launches, family-friendly events, and much more. Reservations can be made six months in advance so why wait? Visit midnrreservations.com or call 1-800-44PARKS to make a reservation.
Rachel:
Welcome back to Wildtalk. Now let's dig into the mailbag and answer some of your questions.
Announcer:
One, two, three.
Rachel:
Hannah, do you have a question for us to kick us off?
Hannah:
I do. Darnell wrote in saying that they heard the woodcock season opening date has changed and is wondering if that is true. And yes it is. The woodcock hunting season opens on September 15th and will go through October 29th statewide. As a reminder, there is a daily limit of three and a possession limit of nine. Additional woodcock hunting information will be available in the 2021 hunting digest, which should be available online soon. Or you can also visit michigan.gov/smallgame for season dates and information.
Rachel:
Now, September 15th is the small game season opener for many species, right?
Hannah:
Yes. Rabbits, snowshoe hare, squirrels, ruffed grouse also opens on September 15th.
Rachel:
Sounds like there is lots of excellent hunting opportunities then when you're afield on the 15th. Well, speaking of hunting seasons, we've got a question about a really exciting hunting season in Michigan. Maggie wrote in wanting to know when she can check to see if she was drawn for a 2021 black bear license. If you applied for a black bear license or an elk license this year, it's almost time to check your drawing results. Results for these license drawings will be available on July 6th and you can find those results online at michigan.gov/dnrlicenses. Or you can call the main wildlife division phone number at (517) 284-9453.
Hannah:
Yes, and one question I sometimes get from folks who've been successful in a drawing is wondering if they don't get out and buy it in time, if someone else will be able to buy it. No, it's reserved under your name, your driver's license, your sport card number. It's reserved for you in the system, so you can pick it up anytime after those drawing results are available and before the season starts.
Rachel:
I also received a question about another fall season coming up and that's the fall turkey season. Jesse wrote in to ask us when the fall turkey application period is going to open. That actually opens up today, July 1st. Applications for fall turkey licenses are on sale July 1 through August 1, so you can buy it anytime within the next four weeks. Hunters can apply for one license and you can do that online at michigan.gov/turkey or over the counter at any DNR license agent. Now the 2021 Fall Turkey Digest should also be hitting the shelves really soon if it's not already there, hitting the shelves at licensed retailers and will be available online. You can go there to find your season bag limits, regulations and license types can all be found in that digest.
Hannah:
All right folks, as we zip this segment to a close, remember, if you have questions about wildlife or hunting you can call 517-284-WILD or email us at dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov and your question could be featured on the mailbag.
Announcer:
Pure Michigan hunt applications are on sale now. If you want your shot of what is considered Michigan's ultimate hunt, pick up a $5 application or two. There's no limit to the number you can buy. If you're one of the three lucky winners, you'll get a hunting prize package worth thousands, as well as licenses for elk, bear, spring and fall turkey, antlerless deer, and first pick at a managed waterfowl area for a reserved hunt. Purchase anywhere hunting licenses are sold or online at michigan.gov/pmh.
Hannah:
There was a fox in my hen house, literally. I was missing a chicken and two days later I was out in the yard around lunchtime and I watched a red fox nab another one. Now, while I keep my chickens in a fenced yard and in a coop to roost at night, they are birds and sometimes they are sneaky and find a way over the fence and go wander around the yard during the day. In the past few days, it has been to their demise.
Rachel:
RIP chickens.
Hannah:
Yes. RIP the chickens. Now, I mentioned before that I've chased off fox and coyotes from the yard, but I've never had a issue with them eating any chickens. Now, certainly I've had plenty of other predators after my hobby fowl. Usually we're dealing with hawks or owls that's swoop in from above, and we've also had a raccoon that broke into the coop one night. That was a lovely mess to wake up to. But now we can add fox to the list.
Rachel:
That is quite a growing list too. Do you live in a woodlot? Do you have nature nearby or are you in the city with your chickens?
Hannah:
We're in a suburban type area, but we have several acres so most of our area around our mowed property is wooded. There's lots of excellent wildlife habitat here. We always have deer coming through, squirrels, rabbit, you name it. There's all kinds of stuff here.
Rachel:
With the spotlight on a warm chicken dinner.
Hannah:
Yes, yes, indeed.
Rachel:
Well, this is fairly common. We do get this question pretty often when a fox that has found some backyard chickens, and it's just an easy meal. When you have a food source available to the fox, your effort at hazing that fox are likely to be less effective. Certainly you still want to employ some hazing efforts like yelling at it, making loud noises when it's around, but what else can you do? Summer is especially tricky because hunting and trapping seasons for foxes are closed and they won't open back up until October. You do have the option to hire a nuisance wildlife control business, and they're permitted to handle the removal of certain wildlife species, including fox, from your property. This can be a helpful option, particularly if you're in an area where hunting isn't allowed.
Hannah:
But if you're like me, you might rather try and outfox the fox. I find it to be an interesting challenge. During the summer months, fox have hungry young mouths to feed, and this is when we usually hear about these types of conflict. In my case, there are two fox kits in this family and they are so darn cute. They were out frolicking in the yard a couple of nights ago around the swing set, just having a grand old time. Then I saw them again last evening out in the middle of the mowed yard. Instead of letting them frolic, I ran after them like a crazy person, as I've mentioned how I haze critters in the past. They weren't quite sure what to think, it's obviously their first time ever having a human run, yelling and screaming at them. It took them a minute, but then they decided they didn't want to hang around to see if I got any closer. I'm sure this will be the first of many hazing efforts because I suspect they aren't going anywhere for a while.
Rachel:
It sounds like it's a good idea, especially in an area where you live, where this probably won't be the first time you have foxes.
Hannah:
Yeah. I mean, they'll be around. Even if these ones move on there'll probably always be foxes in the area. It's good to strike fear into their hearts while they're young.
Rachel:
One of the first steps you can take is to keep the chickens in a fenced enclosure versus letting them completely free range. Woven wire fencing of some kind with small holes is best for keeping out predators. The size of the holes or openings in the fence will depend on the type of predator you are trying to keep out. Wire fences with openings of three inches or less can exclude larger predators such as a fox. I will say, from personal experience, you will want to think about the size of the hole and the size of the hands of the critters. Because a raccoon will certainly try to reach it's little dexterous hand through any hole it can fit. Just keep that in mind when choosing your fencing.
Hannah:
Yes. That and smaller critters like weasels, for example, that'll easily fit through a three inch hole. If you're having issues with different size predators, you might consider different size woven wire fencing. Now, you'll also probably want to bury the bottom of the fence. Now, skirting is the most effective strategy. What this is, is you'll want to bury the bottom of the fence, a foot or two, with then an apron of the fence extending maybe 12 to 18 inches outward from the bottom, so it's creating the L shape under the ground, and then bury that whole part. This will keep the predators from, or other critters even from digging underneath the fence because no matter where they go down, they'll hit a fence under the ground.
Hannah:
Now, while it works best to have the fence or the skirting buried, you could try just running it out on top of your lawn or your grass or whatever, out from the fence and use some sort of wire staples to hold it down until the grass grows up through it and naturally ties it down if you will. You could try that if you don't want to dig and bury a bunch of fencing, but burying it tends to be more effective. Now, as I mentioned, I have some birds that like to fly out, so certainly burying fencing isn't going to keep the birds in. One option I've used in the past is putting up netting over the top of their outdoor pen. This can be very helpful in keeping hawks and owls out as well as keeping the chickens in.
Rachel:
Yeah. Predators, if hungry, are extremely motivated and could very well figure out a way to scale your fence or get through it somehow. If you find this to be an issue, you can try a strand or two of electric wire fencing along the fence to deter them from climbing over. This is commonly used in areas where people have black bears that have found their chickens. One time you might want to investigate or try out an electric fencing of sometime to deter a larger animal. If you are going to try this approach, suggested spacing for a three wire electric fence is six inches, 12 inches, and 18 inches above the ground.
Hannah:
The other thing to do is make sure you keep those birds in a coop, especially dusk through dawn when many predators are active. Now, in my particular situation, and some of you may have experienced this as well, my foxy visitor came by midday. I've been keeping my chickens in their coop during the day too until I can make fortifications to my fencing. Hopefully, without finding an easy meal for a week or two, the fox will go hunt elsewhere. But given that I've seen the kids frolicking in my backyard several nights now, I know the den is nearby. Chances are that the foxes will be hanging around through the summer. At least that's my guess. We'll see what happens.
Rachel:
Yeah, that would be my guess too, especially after delicious couple of birds. Good luck fortifying your fencing, Hannah.
Hannah:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yes.
Rachel:
Now, if all of these deterrent methods have failed you and you're still having issues, the local wildlife biologists can discuss other methods that you can try and may issue an out of season permit for the fox. For more tips on how to handle conflicts with wildlife such as a fox and for a biologist contact information, visit michigan.gov/wildlife.
Hannah:
All right. I think that just about does it for this episode of Wildtalk. Thanks so much for joining us as always and we'll see you back here in August.
Announcer:
This has been the Wildtalk Podcast, your monthly podcast airing the first of each month and offering insights into the world of wildlife across the state of Michigan. You can reach the wildlife division at 517-284-9453 or dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.