The Cicadas Are Coming!

Remember when you were a kid and you'd find a little bug exoskeleton still clinging on to a tree for dear life? Well if you live in the mid-west you may start to see literally hundreds of these Cicada exoskeletons clinging onto everything in sight. According to the Associated Press, billions of Cicadas are going to invade the Midwest portion of the United States this May. The Cicadas have been quietly brewing underground for the past 17 years waiting for the moment to emerge.

On a quiet, warm, summer evening it's easy to hear the song of the Cicada, as it is quite unique, sounding something like an overdrawn drone of buzzing. This buzzing will be extremely prominent over the states of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Iowa over the next month. The 'song' is the Cicada males' way of attracting a female mates.

The actual name of this forthcoming Cicada occurrence is called 'Brood XIII'. The Cicadas will leave their underground homes and come up for one specific purpose: mating. They will only go on to live for about thirty days. Cicadas won't harm humans, they aren't known to bite or sting. However, they are rather large insects and the birds, dogs, squirrels, and other animals that enjoy a high-protein Cicada snack will surely enjoy their emergence.

Cicadas do tend to appear every summer, as their 'singing' has become a staple of summertime and hot afternoons, but 'Brood XIII' is another kind of Cicada appearance and is very periodical. The last Cicada brood that emerged happened in 2004, once again after 17 years underground (aptly entitled 'Brood X'). These Cicadas coming up from the ground in droves is one of our planet's greatest insect trends. According to the Associated Press (and experts) as many as 1.5 million Cicadas per acre could crowd into the trees in the dense parts of Midwestern forests.

The Cicadas, although harmless, could disrupt some fun summer activities, such as concerts or event outdoor parties. It's hard to compete with a huge swarm of horsefly sized insects buzzing around. Seeing the Cicada exoskeleton on a tree is a sign that the Cicada has molted its young skin and has turned into an adult Cicada. The Cicada will then mate and die shortly thereafter. Hopefully the Cicadas of Brood XIII will cause no harm to the humans in their path, but they will give those who experience this phenomenon something to remember.

Associated Press, "Swarms of Cicadas emerging in the Midwest." MSNBC NEWS.
URL: (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18780937/)