How do you get rid of a swarm of cicadas?

Question

I noticed a swarm of large amber coloured bugs on my walk home today. I think they were cicadas (they were moving too fast and it was too dark to take a picture). They seemed to be swarming around the small trees on the walk (maples and oaks). Is this a problem, i.e. will the trees be damaged? How can the bugs be gotten rid of?

Answer 1

Cicadas lay eggs inside trees across North America. The amount of damage they cause depends on whether they are annual or periodical but rarely causes any significant damage to well established trees. Control with pesticides is not desirable. When you see them there are hundreds of them. Whatever ones you spray will be replaced with others and you risk harming the local birds that eat them.

They do their business and disappear quickly. When you hear them you know it's summer in North America.

For a different opinion on their damage and control see here. This seems to apply more to farmers with orchards.