Q: In the last couple of months we have noticed foot-long ends of limbs on our hardwoods turning brown and falling off. Do you know what is going on?

A: Remember back in May when you heard the constant shriek of cicadas each day? Once the males and females found each other, the females climbed to the end of hardwood branches, made a slit in the bark and deposited her eggs. The limb tips eventually broke off and the eggs were positioned near the ground where they can hatch and burrow into the soil for another thirteen years. The damage to trees is generally considered not to be a problem.