Illinois
Do cicadas destroy crops? What farmers in Illinois need to know
Cicada cakes return to Chicago-area bakery after 17-year hiatus
Bent Fork Bakery in Chicago is bringing back their famous cicada cakes in anticipation of the bugs’ return this summer.
Fox – 32 Chicago
The emergence of two broods of periodical cicadas in Illinois this spring will be an event that has not occurred since 1803 and will not happen again until 2245.
What does this rare event mean for Peoria-area farmers?
Cicadas 2024: What animals eat cicadas?
Do cicadas destroy crops?
The short answer is, not much.
“Periodical cicadas don’t pose a risk to any of the major crops in Illinois,” said Illinois State Entomologist Christopher Dietrich. “They are restricted to areas with mature natural forest, and they don’t move around much so we’ll see few, if any, in areas dominated by row crops.”
The Peoria area’s corn and soybeans are safe from a dual emergence of the Northern Illinois Brood and the Great Southern Brood. But the billions of insects whose song will begin to fill Illinois evenings later this month can still pose an agricultural threat statewide.
Do cicadas destroy trees?
University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Ken Johnson wrote female cicadas will cut open tree branches, resulting in a scar that can be several inches long. While the damage will not kill mature, healthy trees; it can kill small trees and shrubs.
“Newly-planted small trees and shrubs may have trunk diameters small enough for female cicadas to lay their eggs in,” Johnson wrote. “If this happens, the trees can be killed. These smaller plants also have fewer branches on them, and egg-laying can cause significant damage to the trees.”
What do cicadas eat? Trillions of cicadas loom in the United States. What do cicadas eat above ground?
The female cicada’s affinity for trees means the primary risk is to commercial tree fruit growers. Richard Tanner, the father of Tanner’s Orchard owner Craig Tanner, still helps out at the Speer, Ill., farm, and said 3,000 new trees were planted there last spring. To make up losses from last year, Tanner’s also plans to replant trees this spring.
“Due to the warm and dry conditions of spring 2023, we lost about 15% of the trees and will be replanting them,” Tanner said.
How to protect young trees from cicadas
The Illinois Department of Agriculture said the best way to protect small trees from cicada damage is to surround the trunks with screening, which will curtail egg-laying. IDA said commercially available pesticides don’t work on cicadas and could negatively affect pets and wildlife that feed on them.
University of Illinois Extension assistant professor Kacie Athey wrote late in April that the best protection for vulnerable trees is protective fine-meshed netting. However, for growers with large numbers of fruit trees, there are insecticides available only to commercial fruit producers.
Athey provided a spraying guide for commercial growers, including a list of available insecticides and efficacy ratings for each. Of the eight products listed, five had ratings of “Unknown.” Asana XL and Danitol 2.4EC received scores of “Excellent,” and Athey gave Sevin XLR Plus a rating of “Good.”
Illinois will get $1.1 million of a $45 million, 45-state settlement with money transfer app Cash App’s parent company, which was accused of misleading customers about the app’s security.
Block Inc. will face $55 million in civil penalties and also have to pay customers nationwide somewhere from $75 million to $120 million as part of the settlement, which includes the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
In a statement, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the settlement holds the company accountable and requires it to “change its harmful practices.”
“Block told Cash App users their money was safe and falsely implied that the app worked like a bank, with the same protections,” Raoul said. “Block was aware that fraud on its platform was rising sharply and failed to warn users, strengthen protections or provide real help to users when things went wrong.”
A company spokesperson confirmed the settlement and said the company has made “significant investments in consumer protection, customer service, and compliance.”
“We share the commitment of the attorneys general to addressing industry challenges and continue to invest in operations and technology to promote a safe and healthy financial ecosystem,” the spokesperson said in a statement provided to the Sun-Times Wednesday night.
The lawsuit accused the company of not preventing fraud, and even of having systems that made it easier to commit that fraud. Minimal identity verification allowed someone to create fake or multiple accounts, and the company had no phone support line. Instead, customers who had been defrauded often were provided by those fraudsters with fake online customer support phone numbers, the suit alleged.
As part of the agreement, the company must offer at least 13.5 hours of human-staffed phone lines per day as part of 24-hour support, as well as reimburse customers for fraudulent transactions, stop marketing the app as safe and educate users about the dangers of fraud.
SERENA, Ill. – An 8-year-old girl has died after she was struck by lightning while outside in the backyard of her home in LaSalle County over the Fourth of July weekend.
Girl killed by lightning strike
What we know:
The LaSalle County Coroner’s office said it was called to emergency department at OSF St. Elizabeth Hospital in Ottawa on the evening of July 3 after the child was brought in following the lightning strike.
A forensic autopsy was conducted on Sunday. Preliminary findings determined the girl died from injuries caused by the lightning strike.
What we don’t know:
Officials have not yet released the child’s identity.
The incident remains under investigation by the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office and the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office.
The Source: The information in this report came from the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office.
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. – We’re learning more about the victims in Friday’s tragedy on Geneva Lake.
Three kids, ages 10, seven, and six, were killed after they were trapped in the sinking boat during the severe storms.
Officials won’t comment on their identities, but FOX6 learned at least two of them were students at the Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200) in Wheaton, Illinois.
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The district released a statement, saying:
“On behalf of Community Unit School District 200, our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the children who died in a tragic boating incident in Lake Geneva on July 3. We ask that you join us in supporting these families during this difficult time, and keep them in your thoughts as we all cope with this incredible loss.”
Lake Geneva Police Chief statement
What we know:
The City of Lake Geneva Police Department is opening up on the incident and the property destruction caused by the storms.
The police chief says, in part:
“In moments of tragedy, we often see the very best in people, and that has certainly been true here. While there is still healing ahead, I hope everyone knows how grateful we are for the outpouring of support shown over these past several days. It has been humbling to witness and a reminder that no one faces hardship alone when a community stands together.”
–Chief Ed Gritzner, City of Lake Geneva Police Department
The backstory:
Walworth County experienced what law enforcement described as a “sudden and severe” storm on July 3. The National Weather Service said it created a downburst with peak winds estimated at 90–100 mph.
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The storm downed hundreds of trees and power lines, damaged several buildings and created hazardous boating conditions on Geneva Lake. One boat with 10 people on board overturned and ultimately sank.
Six adults and one child were rescued from the water, while three of the kids were missing when emergency responders got there. Those three children were found and later died despite life-saving attempts.
Emergency response on Geneva Lake after storms lead to calls for water rescue on July 3, 2026.
Who was on the boat?
The latest:
The three children who died have been identified as a 10-year-old girl, a 7-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy.
The boat operator was a 47-year-old man. The other passengers were a 75-year-old man, a 73-year-old woman, a 49-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy.
The group included residents of Fontana, as well as residents of Batavia and Wheaton, Illinois. All four kids were wearing properly fitted life jackets, according to law enforcement.
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What happened on Geneva Lake?
Dig deeper:
Law enforcement said the boat operator had “extensive boating experience” and was unable to find safe harbor when the storm hit. At least two large waves broke over the bow, causing it to take on water. Another wave hit the side of the boat, causing it to roll, capsize and sink.
The sunken vessel was found in 32 feet of water, and three children were found inside the boat. Divers were able to get them out and bring them to the surface, and they were pronounced dead despite life-saving attempts. Investigators determined they had no external injuries and drowned.
What’s next:
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency are still conducting a joint investigation into the accident. Eleven other agencies assisted with the immediate needs.
The Source: Information in this post comes from the City of Lake Geneva Police Department and Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200), along with prior
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