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Two different broods of cicadas have synced up for the first
time since 1803 and are expected to appear beginning in May.
The Northern Illinois brood comes from underground every 17
years and the Great Southern brood every 13 years. The ground
will first have to reach the perfect temperature of 64 degrees
Fahrenheit at a depth of 12 to 18 inches in the ground before
the insects will emerge.
Ellie Taylor, a graduate teaching assistant in the Biological
Sciences department at Northern Illinois University, said you
not only will be able to see the cicadas, but you will be able
to hear them as well.
“The amount of cicadas that will pop up will be so loud that it
could actually reach upwards of 100 decibels,” said Taylor.
That's the equivalent of a power lawn mower or even a subway
train.
Sixteen states are expected to experience the emergence of
around one trillion cicadas.
Cicadas are not poisonous or harmful to humans or pets,
according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
In 1990, a large emergence of cicadas prompted Illinoisans to
use snow shovels to clear their sidewalks of the dead cicadas,
and that could happen this year.
Taylor said many animals will be feasting on the critters once
they emerge, but back in the day, Native Americans used to toast
cicadas over an open fire for a snack.
“These are insects that literally sit there and suck up the sap
from trees, so I could see where they would be pretty tasty,”
said Taylor.
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