Cicadas: Call ‘em Noisy...
Call ‘em Pesky... But Don’t Call ‘em Locusts!

by Jane Kirkland

The 17-year cicadas have arrived and it seems as if these insects are emerging with only one purpose — to destroy the sounds of silence.

If you live in the city, you might find yourself virtually unaffected by this invasion. But if you live near Fairmont or one of our other tree-filled city parks, or near the strikingly beautiful deciduous woods of the Delaware Valley, this June could be a June to remember, a June filled with the sounds of the near 90-decibel calls of a single cicada, multiplied thousands, hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of times — who’s counting?

While many of us will diligently avoid close contact with these flying critters, others will visit our area for the sheer pleasure of entotourism. (Entomology is the study of insects.)

The rest of us will wonder when these large, pesky, vociferous insects will go away. Your kids undoubtedly will have questions about the noise, the dead bugs, and the cicadas flying into their path or falling on their heads. (This sounds like a nightmare, but remember, fear is perception). So here’s some information to help you and your kids live through the invasion.

Will they hurt us? Have no fear. Cicadas don’t bite or sting. They don’t carry West Nile virus, Lyme disease or (to our knowledge), anything that can infect or hurt you. Even though they might be flying into you or falling onto you, you are not the object of their attention or affection. In fact, you’re as much in their way as they are in yours.

If your children are really freaked out about the cicadas, try picking one up for them to demonstrate how benign these bugs can be.

You know the routine, it’s a parent thing; pick one up gingerly, hold your breath and the cicada for a split second, put it down quickly, trying to hide your deep sigh of relief and the anxiety in your high-pitched voice as you say, “See? Harmless!”

If your dog is eating the cicadas in your yard, you don’t have to call the vet. Dogs find the freshly dead cicadas that fall from the trees delicious. Everything I’ve read says “no problem” about this canine banquet, unless of course, your dog eats too many. You know what they say, everything in moderation.

Cicadas are not locusts and they won’t hurt or eat your yard. The females lay their eggs on the ends of branches of deciduous trees and shrubs. This can cause some damage, but it’s minor and most trees and shrubs will recover. You might want to protect very young trees with cheesecloth.

Why are there so many? The cicadas we are seeing this June are part of a brood that lives in this region and emerges every 17 years to mate, lay eggs, and die. While you might be seeing more cicadas than you’ve ever seen in your life, it’s probably because we have fewer trees, not more cicadas.

Aren’t cicadas usually an August insect? June does seem a bit early in the year to be hearing these not-so-little bugs. Many of us think of the call of the cicada as an August event.

But the August cicadas or “Dog Day” cicadas are different than the 17-year cicadas. This June we are experiencing the adult 17-year cicadas or the Magicicadas. Call them what you will, but don’t call them the “17-year locusts” — they aren’t locusts at all.

Where can I go to escape them? Brood X is found in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Try treeless seas of asphalt. If you’re not a city person, try the beach.

When will they ever go away? The cicadas don’t all emerge from the ground at once and it will take about a month before their super-terranean cycle is over.

How do I keep my kids from freaking out? Take the scientific approach. Teach them about the lifecycle of the cicada. It’s fascinating.

To begin with, the Magicicada is the longest living insect in North America. They start life as an egg that looks like rice. When the egg hatches, the larvae (which look like a cross between cooked rice and termites) feed by sucking on branches.

Eventually, they fall to the ground and dig their way down to find tree roots where, as nymphs they spend the next 17 years sucking on tree roots — and you thought your life was boring!

Seventeen years later the nymphs crawl to the surface through exits in the soil that look like little bumps in the ground. These are called “soil chimneys.” Once they emerge from the soil, they climb trees, shed their shells, and dry their wings.

Finally, the adult, all dry and with newly-hardened skin, flies around to find mates. The male dies after mating. The females find branches to lay her eggs on and then she dies. The eggs hatch and it all begins again.

So, is it si-KAY-da or si-KAH-da? According to the dictionary, both pronunciations are correct, with the long “a” preferred.

Where can I learn more? At your local library of course. On the web, search for “cicada” or begin your adventure at www.cicadamania.com

Jane Kirkland is a Downingtown PA speaker, naturalist, photographer and author of the Take A Walk nature books for kids. Her latest book, Take A Walk With Butterflies and Dragonflies, is now available. Learn more at www.takeawalk.com