ADVISORY / MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Topic: Cicadas are coming! What to know about these bugs that emerge only once every 17 years, as the eastern U.S. “brood” begins to appear in the coming weeks to serenade residents from North Carolina to New York State. Expert: Robert Childs, entomologist and instructor at the Stockbridge School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst -- https://stockbridge.cns.umass.edu/robert%20childs Available: Via phone or email; also available via satellite for TV segments from on-campus studio in Amherst, Mass.

----------------------------- Robert Childs, entomologist and instructor at the Stockbridge School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is available to discuss the brood of cicadas that is about to emerge in the eastern U.S. In the coming weeks, billions of cicadas will emerge from their 17-year stay underground to trumpet their love song – the unmistakable buzzing sound that defies description – before they mate and die. Childs can explain:

-- What these amazing insects do while they are underground for so long-- The secret to their incredibly loud “love song”-- Why cicadas pose no threat to plants or animals – despite their size and appearance-- The different regional “broods” of 17-year cicadas, and where to find them next

To schedule Robert Childs for an interview, or to request comment on the eastern cicada brood, please contact:

Jared SharpeNews and Media RelationsUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstPhone: 413-545-3809 / Email: jsharpe[at]admin.umass.eduwww.umass.edu/newsoffice **********************

ABOUT ROBERT CHILDS Bob Childs has been an instructor since 1984. He currently teaches three entomology courses per year at UMass with the bulk of his students being enrolled in the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. In addition to teaching, Bob also has a 60% extension appointment to the Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry program. His role there is to provide accurate and timely diagnostics of insect pests, make recommendations, write about current trends in pest identification and management, and to act as an overall resource for the green industry. Much of his work is published as fact sheets, newsletters, and on his extension program's web site. He also performs numerous workshops that are related to integrated pest management. Bob was one of the faculty involved with the development and funding of the Urban Forestry Diagnostic Lab at UMass Amherst. He was responsible for the development of the New England Recommendation Guide for Insects, Diseases, and Weeds of Shade Trees and Woody Ornamentals, was senior author and editor of the CD-ROM fact sheet compendium "Tree Bytes," and has produced two reference books for the industry through funding from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management. Bob is a professional staff member in the department with responsibility for outreach to town foresters and tree wardens, arborists, landscapers, nursery managers and others working with woody ornamentals and forests. In 2002, he presented training in 25 meetings to more than 2,500 people. He also continues to edit new versions of the shade tree insect pest control guide for New England, and has provided responses to over 700 calls and identification for 100 samples.

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