A trillion cicadas will descend on the US this spring in rare event that could leave unforgettable stench (2024)

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A trillion cicadas will descend on the US this spring in rare event that could leave unforgettable stench? ›

In a rare natural event that occurs once every 221 years, these two broods will synchronously tunnel through the ground to the surface starting in late April across 16 states. The event, known as a dual emergence, could potentially lead the two broods to interbreed, experts told The New York Times.

Where will cicadas be in 2024? The 13-year cicadas, called Brood XIX, will emerge in Georgia and the Southeast. The 17-year cicadas, called Brood XIII, will appear in Illinois. This will be the first time since 1803 that two broods emerged at the same time.

Broods are not the same thing as species, and each brood can contain multiple cicada species that can emerge in different places. In 2024, all seven cicada species will be represented, a coincidence that won't happen again until 2037.

While the cicadas won't find their way to the Hilltop, the event will be similar to the emergence of Brood X in 2021, when trillions of cicadas appeared all over Washington, DC, and the surrounding region, not to be seen again until 2038.

Cicadas are not dangerous and can provide some environmental benefits including: Cicadas are a valuable food source for birds and other predators. Cicadas can aerate lawns and improve water filtration into the ground. Cicadas add nutrients to the soil as they decompose.

Periodical cicadas are insects that spend most of their lives underground as nymphs, feeding off the sap of tree roots. They emerge to transform into adults and mate. Some periodical cicadas emerge every 13 years and others emerge every 17 years. The males "sing" by vibrating a membrane on the sides of their bodies.

Nearly all cicadas spend years underground as juveniles, before emerging above ground for a short adult stage of several weeks to a few months.

Periodical cicadas, sometimes referred to as 17-year cicadas, are large, flying insects that are known for the loud buzzing noise that males make to attract female mates. These insects are often incorrectly referred to as locusts, even though they are unrelated.

Cicadas are not dangerous. They do not sting or bite because they don't have the appropriate mouthparts. They're also not harmful to pets, crops or gardens. Cicadas won't eat leaves, flowers, fruits or vegetables, although they may eat some sap from trees and shrubs, the EPA says.

The Midwest and Southeast should be buzzing for about six weeks. In most cases, Dr. Shockley said, the cicadas, which live about a month, will die not far from where they had emerged.

What kills cicadas? ›

Sevin Insect Killer Concentrate, used with a pump-style sprayer, is ideal for treating lawn areas and small trees and shrubs at risk for cicada damage. Spray all plant surfaces thoroughly to kill cicadas by contact and protect against cicadas for up to three months.

Cicadas are commonly eaten by birds and mammals, as well as bats, wasps, mantises, spiders, and robber flies. In times of mass emergence of cicadas, various amphibians, fish, reptiles, mammals, and birds change their foraging habits so as to benefit from the glut.

Cicadas nymphs remain underground, molting through five instars, and emerge from the ground in the fifth instar. Then they molt for the last time, assuming the adult form. The adults live for four to six weeks, feeding on tree sap with their long, beak-like mouthparts.

Human and animal health. Cicadas are largely harmless to humans and animals. They don't bite and they don't sting. They lack the physical structures to hurt people that other insects have: they don't have stingers so they can't sting and their mouth parts are a more like a straw than teeth so they can't bite.

But as scientists have learned from previous emergences of periodical cicadas, the parasitic Massospora fungus is waiting to infect them, take over their bodies, and keep them just alive enough to spread the disease to their mates during reproduction.

Cicadas will not kill mature trees and shrubs they lay their eggs on. Any damage that may be caused by hatching larvae should be minor and temporary. Still, if you're worried about damage, the best course of action is to cover your trees with netting.

Parts of West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina are also expected to see the cicadas in 2025. Because the broods only come out every 13 or 17 years, it's highly unusual to have a joint emergence like the one we're seeing in 2024 with broods XIX and XIII.

Just how many cicadas are there? Currently, there are 12 recognized 17-year broods and three 13-year broods. Studies on cicada populations vary, but Burr noted that some studies estimate over a million cicadas per acre. For the emerging broods, there is safety in numbers.

Our next major emergence of the periodical cicadas will start in late April and early May 2024, when two different broods will emerge. The 17-year Brood XIII will emerge in Northern Illinois, while the 13-year Brood XIX will emerge in parts of Southeastern United States.

If you live in the South, you know what I am referring to: those lazy, hot, humid days that are all too common in July and August. At that time of year these large (2-inch) green, black and brown insects make loud buzzing calls that are one of the most familiar sounds of summer.