Are Cicadas Damaging Your North Phoenix Trees?

Summer in North Phoenix brings plenty of buzzing cicadas, but they aren’t the only thing homeowners notice this time of year. Brown branch tips, fallen twigs, and thinning canopies often raise the same question: Are cicadas damaging my trees? Before assuming the insects are to blame, it’s important to understand what signs are normal and which ones point to a different problem.

Key Takeaways

• Arizona’s cicadas are annual desert species, not the 13- or 17-year broods you see in the news.
• The noise is the worst thing about them; real tree damage is minor and mostly cosmetic.
• Cicada injury shows up as “flagging”: browning leaf clusters and dieback at the very tips of branches.
• Healthy, mature desert trees shrug off cicada feeding and egg-laying with ease; young, newly planted, or already-stressed trees are the ones to watch.
• If a tree is struggling this summer, the cause is usually watering or heat, not the cicadas.

Do Cicadas Actually Damage Trees?

For the vast majority of North Phoenix trees, no. Cicadas also don’t bite, sting, or pose any danger to people or pets and the damage they do cause to trees is minor and temporary.

Cicadas affect trees in two ways:

• Underground: Nymphs spend years feeding on root sap with virtually no detectable harm to established trees.
• Above Ground: Adult cicadas feed on branch-tip sap, and females slit small cuts into twigs to lay eggs. These slits are what cause the visible browning and twig dieback most homeowners notice.

DID YOU KNOW?: Certified Arborists actually consider cicada-related branch dieback a form of natural self-pruning: the tree sheds a little deadwood at the tips with no real cost to its long-term health.

What Does Cicada Damage Look Like on Desert Trees?

The most recognizable sign of cicada damage is flagging. Instead of affecting the entire tree, the damage stays confined to the outer tips of branches while the rest of the canopy remains healthy.

Look for these signs:

• Brown, Wilted Branch Tips: The outermost 6–12 inches of a branch turn brown while the rest of the branch and canopy stay green.
• Twig Slits: Small crescent-shaped cuts or roughened bark where female cicadas laid their eggs.
• Dropped Twig Tips: Weakened twigs break off and fall to the ground, especially during monsoon winds.

These symptoms are usually easy to distinguish from diseases because they remain limited to the branch tips. If browning spreads deeper into the canopy, affects large limbs, or is accompanied by other symptoms, another pest or disease may be responsible.

Which Desert Trees Are Most Affected by Cicadas?

Cicadas will land on nearly any desert tree in North Phoenix, including the mesquite, palo verde, and citrus; all of which are common in local yards. Species matters less than you’d think, though—susceptibility comes down to the tree’s overall health more than what kind of tree it is.

• Least Affected: Healthy, mature trees tolerate the minor twig loss easily. Even trees with visible flagging recover on their own without intervention.
• Most at Risk: Young, newly planted, or already-stressed trees bear a higher risk, since stressed plants are more susceptible to insects and diseases. When a tree’s resources are already stretched thin, egg-laying slits can further weaken thin twigs and slow recovery.

In Phoenix’s arid urban environment, drought, salty irrigation water, poor soil, and incorrect maintenance are the most common stressors to watch for. The same principle applies to ornamentals like Texas mountain laurel, where a summer pest problem on top of existing stress compounds faster than it would on a healthy plant.

How Can You Tell If It’s More Than Cicada Damage?

Cicada damage follows a predictable pattern. If what you’re seeing doesn’t match that pattern, another issue may be affecting your tree.

Look for signs such as:

• Browning Beyond the Branch Tips: Cicada flagging stays at the ends of branches. Browning that extends farther into the canopy may point to drought stress, disease, or another problem.
• Canopy-Wide Thinning: Cicadas don’t cause an entire tree to thin out. Widespread leaf loss or declining vigor suggests something more serious.
• Additional Symptoms: Leaf scorch, wilting, trunk damage, sap flow, or signs of insect feeding beyond the branch tips can indicate a different pest or tree health issue.

If your tree’s symptoms don’t match the typical pattern of cicada damage, an ISA Certified Arborist can determine whether you’re seeing harmless summer flagging or a condition that requires treatment.

How Do You Help a Tree Recover After Cicada Season?

The best thing you can do after cicada season is the same thing that keeps a desert tree resilient year-round: consistent, deep watering, and proper pruning.

If a tree is declining this summer, the cause is far more likely to come down to watering, heat, or salt than the cicadas, since most problems with mesquite and palo verde trees trace back to how they’re planted and cared for rather than to pests. Before you blame the bugs, check whether your tree’s summer leaf browning points to a water or heat issue, and confirm your summer watering is reaching deep enough below the surface.

But when browning outlives the cicada season, or doesn’t match the flagging pattern, that’s your signal to have a professional look at the tree’s overall health and rule out other summer pests like palo verde beetles.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cicadas in Arizona

How long do cicadas stick around in Arizona?

Desert cicadas typically emerge in late May and stay active through August and into September, overlapping with Arizona’s monsoon season (officially June 15 through September 30). Individual adults live only a few weeks, but because Arizona’s species emerge on staggered schedules, you’ll hear cicadas most of the summer.

Does hearing cicadas mean the monsoon is about to hit?

Not a specific storm, but yes as a season. Cicadas tend to get loud in the weeks before the monsoon arrives, so the desert chorus is a reliable sign that monsoon season is close—not a forecast for any single afternoon.

Is that shell stuck to my tree trunk a sign of a problem?

No. That papery brown shell is the exoskeleton a nymph sheds when it climbs out of the ground and becomes an adult. It causes no harm to the tree and can be brushed off or left alone.

Do cicadas damage patio furniture, screens, or anything besides trees?

No. Cicadas feed only on tree sap and lay eggs in twigs, so they don’t chew wood, fabric, or screens. At worst you’ll find the occasional one clinging to a wall or a shed exoskeleton on a post.

Will spraying insecticide protect my trees from cicadas?

Spraying isn’t recommended and rarely helps, since the damage is cosmetic and the adults are only around briefly. Keeping a tree well watered and healthy does far more to protect it than any treatment aimed at the cicadas.

Why are cicadas so loud in the summer?

The buzzing is the males’ mating call. Their hollow, resonant body structure amplifies the sound so it carries far across a quiet desert yard.

Concerned About Your Tree? Start With an Expert Assessment

Cicada season passes quickly, and for most North Phoenix trees, the buzzing is more alarming than the damage itself. But if your tree has more than a few browned branch tips, widespread dieback, or other unusual symptoms, it’s worth having an expert take a closer look.

Titan’s ISA Certified Arborists can identify what’s causing the damage and recommend the right next steps. Request a free quote or call us at 480-646-4713. Titan Tree Care is a licensed, insured, family-owned tree care company serving North Phoenix, Anthem, and Tramonto.