Brood X Cicadas arrive soon. Get ready hear a LOT of buzzing this summer. While cicadas are common in the southeast, this brood only show up over a period of years.
Background Of The Brood X Cicadas
Scientists are predicting a massive brood of periodical cicadas emerging for the first time in 17 years. They live underground, and usually show up around the beginning of spring. This type of cicada mostly show up in states along the East Coast.
This type of cicada is known as Brood X. Other names for them include the Great Eastern Brood, or the “Big Brood.” They typically start swarming when the ground temperatures warm. According to a mapping site from the University of Connecticut, Brood X will show up in 12 states from Illinois to Georgia to Pennsylvania.
What Makes Brood X Cicadas Unique
This is such a unique thing that doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world! While cicadas live all over the world, the Southeast area is the only area that has this breed of periodical cicadas. The numbers are predicted to be HUGE as well- with predictions of up to 1.5 million cicadas per acre, according to a professor at the University of Maryland.
They’ve survived underground off of sap from tree roots, and come out as adults every 13 or 17 years. It’s crazy to think they spend that much time underground only to emerge, mate and then die off after 2 to 4 weeks above ground. Their larva will return to the ground to hibernate for another 17 years. This is our first time seeing Brood X since 2004.
Brood X Cicadas Are Loud
Thankfully, cicadas are harmless, but their buzzing can be annoying. The buzzing is loud and can be heard from miles away. Get ready as Brood X cicadas arrive soon!
Do you remember their last visit? What other sounds remind you of summer?
(SOURCE: Fox News)
