It is a sticky July evening in Atlanta. The sun is finally dipping behind the pines, and yet the air is anything but quiet. You hear the rising, pulsing, unmistakable sound of summer: cicadas. But have you ever stopped to wonder what all that noise is doing to your trees?
Our loudest neighbors in Georgia: Are cicadas a threat to your canopy or just a nuisance? Are those buzzing insects harmless background music, or are they quietly harming the canopy you have spent years growing? We hear these questions often once homeowners start noticing something odd on their branches. This post will help you understand what cicadas actually do, when their handiwork is harmless, and when it is worth calling in a professional.
Meet the Loudest Neighbors in Georgia
Cicadas are large, sturdy insects known for one thing above all else. That deafening chorus. The “song” you hear comes only from the males, who vibrate special organs called tymbals to attract a mate. In peak July heat, thousands of them can sing at once, creating the wall of sound that defines an Atlanta summer.
Here is the reassuring part. The noise itself does absolutely nothing to your trees. It is purely a mating call. The real question homeowners should focus on is not the sound but the egg-laying that happens quietly alongside it.
What Is “Flagging” and Why Does It Look So Alarming?
After mating, female cicadas turn their attention to your trees. This is where things can start to look worrying to the untrained eye.
The Biology of Egg-Laying
A female cicada uses a saw-like organ called an ovipositor to slit small grooves into the bark of young twigs and branches. She then deposits her eggs inside these slits. A single female can lay hundreds of eggs, and she tends to favor pencil-thin branches near the outer edge of the canopy.
Spotting the Telltale Signs
The damage from this process is called “flagging.” You will notice:
- Brown, wilted tips at the ends of branches
- Small splits or scarring along thin twigs
- Clusters of dead leaves that look like little brown flags waving in the breeze
It can look dramatic, almost as if part of your tree is dying overnight. In most cases, though, it is far less serious than it appears.
Which Trees Are Most Vulnerable?
Not every tree in your yard is a target. Cicadas gravitate toward certain species and certain conditions.
The most commonly affected trees include:
- Oaks
- Maples
- Dogwoods
- Fruit and ornamental trees
- Newly planted or young saplings
Mature, established trees tend to shrug off flagging with ease. Their thick canopies can lose a few branch tips without any lasting harm. It is the smaller, younger, and already stressed trees that face the real risk.
When to Relax and When to Worry
Here is the key difference every Atlanta homeowner should understand. Flagging is a natural, seasonal event, not a disease. Still, context matters.
When Flagging Is Harmless
If you have a large, healthy, well-established tree, a bit of flagging is essentially natural pruning. The affected twigs may snap and fall, but the tree carries on without missing a beat. In these cases, you can simply sit back and enjoy the music.
When It Is Time to Pay Attention
The picture changes when the tree is vulnerable, or the infestation is heavy. Reach out to a professional if you notice:
- Extensive flagging across a young or newly planted tree
- Flagging combined with other signs of stress like sparse leaves or dieback
- A tree that was already struggling from drought, poor soil, or previous damage
- Damage that keeps spreading well beyond the outer twigs
Flagging vs. Serious Pest or Disease Damage
It is easy to confuse cicada flagging with something more sinister. True disease and destructive pest activity often show up as:
- Oozing sap or dark seeping wounds on the trunk
- Widespread leaf discoloration rather than isolated branch tips
- Boring holes with sawdust-like debris at the base
- Fungal growth or peeling bark
If what you are seeing does not fit the tidy pattern of browning branch tips, it may be a deeper problem that deserves a closer look.
How Excel Tree Care Keeps Your Canopy Healthy
When you are unsure whether that browning is harmless or a warning sign, guessing is never the safe choice. This is where our team steps in.
At Excel Tree Care, we help North Metro Atlanta homeowners understand exactly what their trees are telling them. Our services include:
- Professional tree inspections to accurately diagnose flagging versus genuine pest or disease damage
- Strategic pruning to remove affected branches cleanly and protect young or vulnerable trees
- Comprehensive tree health assessments that address stress factors like drought, soil quality and prior damage
With over a decade of experience caring for Atlanta’s canopy, we know how to tell the difference between a cosmetic nuisance and a real threat. That peace of mind is worth far more than a summer of worry.
The Bottom Line
Cicadas are loud, dramatic and deeply woven into the fabric of a Georgia summer. For most healthy mature trees, their flagging is little more than natural pruning and nothing to lose sleep over. The trees that truly need watching are the young, the newly planted and the already stressed.
If you are staring at brown branch tips and cannot tell whether to relax or take action, let us take a look. Call Excel Tree Care today for a free estimate. Our fully licensed and insured team is ready to help you protect your canopy so you can get back to enjoying the music.