cicad-apocalypse is Here!
In 2024, the 13-year Brood XIX, which is the largest of all periodical cicada broods, will co-emerge with 17-year Brood XIII - bringing what some call the cicad-apocalypse!
Cicadas emerge every year somewhere in the eastern United States, at either 13-year or 17-year intervals. This year is remarkable because two broods are emerging simultaneously for the first time in 221 years.
For more than a decade, cicadas, which are in the same family as stink bugs and bed bugs, live in underground burrows until they are mature enough to rise to the surface. Cicadas spend most of their lives as underground nymphs, emerge in predictable intervals of 13 or 17 years, depending on the species and the location.
Don’t worry, these cicadas are harmless to humans and pets—they cannot sting, bite, or pinch—but there will be many millions of them for a period of a few weeks. What cicadas do have is a piercing-sucking mouthpart called a rostrum. To eat, the cicadas insert their rostrum into plant stems when above ground and roots below ground and feed on plant xylem - so if you feel this, they may think you’re a tree!
Cicadas do no serious harm to any healthy, mature tree. When they first emerge, they feed briefly on the sap of woody plants, but not enough to affect a mature plant. The greatest damage they do is when female cicadas cut slits in slender twigs at the ends of tree branches and stems of some woody shrubs to create a place to lay their eggs.
Literally trillions of the insects will gradually emerge and begin their daily raucous chorus, for the joy of some people and annoyance of others. Every time a rib buckles, the rib produces a click. Many clicks produce a buzzing sound. The action is like how a bendy straw makes sound: pulling and pushing the ribs of the bendy straw together makes a series of clicks. So many cicadas will make their noise at once in some places that sound levels might reach upward of 90 to 120 decibels, equivalent to a gas-powered lawnmower or motorcycle. Particularly in areas with lots of mature trees, their mating calls will be very loud and they may be annoying.
Can you Eat Them?
Absolutely! Insects are full of protein and often taste nutty or toasty.
Try out these recipes:
