Why is there netting covering some of your neighbors’ trees? Blame the cicadas

(NEXSTAR) – Residents strolling through parts of the midwestern and southeastern U.S. might be curious about an increasingly common sight cropping up in their neighborhoods: trees covered in thin, diaphanous netting.

They can blame the cicadas for that.

Cicada netting, or cicada control netting, is one of several methods for protecting more delicate trees or shrubs from harm caused by the insects. They work by keeping the cicadas out, and essentially forcing them to lay their...