‘Head-Splitting’ 17-Year Cicadas to Descend on East Coast

New York Post ^ | January 26, 2021 | Ben Cost

[nickcarraway]

After lying dormant for nearly 20 years, the cacophonous 17-year cicadas will soon emerge from their subterranean slumber pods, ready to bring their “head-splitting” noise to the East Coast.

“The end of May through June, it can get pretty loud,” said Howard Russell, an entomologist at Michigan State University, told USA Today of the groundbreaking phenomenon.

The winged, black insects are classified in “broods” according to when they emerge from underground and raise hell. This spring, we’ll be hearing from millions of Brood Xers — one of largest broods in the US — who will likely be surfacing in 15 states: Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, along with Washington, DC. So much for escaping NYC’s rampant noise pollution during stay-at-home orders.

[ratzoe]

This says they come to NJ but 17 years ago I remember walking in DC and the ground crunching under my feet every few steps because of the cicadas everywhere.

Was working in DC at the time and that is exactly right, wasn't anywhere near as bad at home in southern MD.

[subterfuge]

We have them all the way down in Florida. If you’re from New York, Flah-rida!

[mellow velo]

We had an infestation here in NJ, but it was more recently than 17 years ago. More like 6-8 years ago. Two of our granddaughters were in a school play, and the walks to/from the parking lot were like an obstacle course trying to avoid the crunching noises under our shoes. The girls weren't even born 17 years ago.

I also remember one suicidal cicada in particular that meandered horizontally about a foot-and-a-half above the ground .. right into the spokes of my road bike.

[a real Sheila]

Ha!
I was about to say the same thing.
During the last swarm (2010 I think), I had 2 goldens who acted like those bugs were “flying steaks.”
They GORGED on them.
My current golden is sure to love them.

[JudyinCanada]

I guess the murder hornets were a bust. Now we have to fear being driven to insanity by these creatures. If they’re in PA, we’ll have them in southern Ontario for sure.

[Equine1952]

They taste like chicken. Shrimp tastes like chicken. Parts of turtles and frog legs taste like chicken. Magpies taste like crap, my cats will eat the others. Song birds must taste like chocolate. :)

[Hot Tabasco]

I'm in S.E. Michigan and I love hearing the Cicadas in the fall while the leaves are turning color and the temps are cooling down................

But I hate winter......LOL!

Spring offers a re-birth as an apology for the cold winter months...............

[nickcarraway]

Cicadas aren’t deadly, just annoying.

[eyedigress]

I don’t know about red-eye, I just know they are very prolific!

[C210N]

We’re not supposed to say that number. Or, the letter it represents.

[DCPatriot]

Will be interesting to see how many people kill themselves...being locked down/isolated and hearing that incessant buzzing. LOL!

[rickomatic]

17 year cycle? You know what the 17th letter of the alphabet is? This was predicted.....

[pa_dweller]

Cicadas - food of the dogs.

[SamAdams76]

I wish I had a large chicken thigh right about now.

[lizma2]

The last cycle my son was about 10 and wanted me to cook some for him.

So I did some research and found that the ones just coming out of the ground taste the best and that they were expected to come out in a few days very early in the morning. The night before he was going to his alarm at 5 am. and go find some in our yard.

He woke up at 9 the next morning. (I would have never volunteered to cook them if I thought he would actually get up at 5!!)

I actually like the sound they make.

[Theophilus]

we’ll have to hold Chairman Xao Bai Din responsible comrades.

[lizma2]

Actually there are different broods, some on a 17 year cycle, some on 13 year cycle.

https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pO_QWoKZRLCdGNx5o5VlkBtl19E=/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6357349/activebroods.jpg

Here in the DC area we have some cicadas every summer but brood X is due to hit Maryland, Indiana, Ohio and part of Pennsylvania. It’s a big one.

[Ann Archy]

My father died in Cincinnati in 2004 and when I got out of the airport I couldn’t hear anything but those damn cicadas....I will never forget the sound......even though I GREW up there, you forget....every 17 years like clockwork.

[sauropod]

I remember that.

[FalloutShelterGirl]

again?? 17 years goes fast! I remember running out of my office building near Georgetown and trying to get to my bus. They were getting stuck in my hair. It was horrible! In the office building we were on a higher floor and they would just swarm and smack into the windows all day long. It was mesmerizing, like looking at a demonic snow globe.