Photo: Male and femal walking sticks, Megaphasma dentricus (Stål)
There are several species of walking sticks - all can grow various sizes. The largest species, (Megaphasma dentricus (Stål)), can grow up to 7 inches long (although there are many reports of larger ones) and are the longest insect in the United States! This species is what many people are finding right now and pictured in this blog.
Walking sticks have a creepy appearance, simply because they are so slow moving. They are not harmful and at the worst, may stick to your t-shirt, or emit a foul odor as defense. Walking sticks cannot sting, do not bite, cannot fly, and are not very fast runners - so there is really nothing to fear from them. They have chewing mouthparts, but even in massive outbreaks, do not defoliate trees.
Watch the oak trees closely and it may not be the wind moving the branches, it may actually be walking sticks rocking back and forth.
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