The big red-eyed bugs were last seen in 2004 but are now ready to reemerge. If you live in Michigan or any part of the East Coast, prepare for the invasion of these insects as they will be all over the place, outnumbering humans by an estimated 600:1. Billions of Brood X cicadas will be swarming some parts of Michigan, as experts say they’ll mostly invade the extreme southeastern parts and won’t come too far north. However, you’ll find them occurring throughout areas like Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
Also, if you live in the Troy, Livonia, Ann Arbor, or Redford, Michigan, areas, you may notice them. Although these insects love to live under the ground, it doesn’t mean they are asleep. As one of the insect species with a very long lifespan, these bugs pass through a range of growth stages and eventually emerge to mate on the surface.
Image via Flickr by orazal
What Should You Expect?
Annual cicadas like the Dog-day variant pop up every year, but not this species. The Brood X is a periodical class that usually shows up every 17 years in much larger swarms than the regulars.
Adult Brood X cicadas have wings and can live for several weeks after they surface. Once they emerge, they’ll use the next 6 weeks to mate, lay eggs, and then disappear for a long time until they’re ready to remerge again. The ground temperature plays a role in determining when to expect these insects, mostly when it’s at 64°. So around May and June, southeast Michigan should experience very large swarms of cicadas.
There’s no need to be scared about getting hurt, as these species are mostly harmless even if they appear intimidating. They’re mostly just a nuisance but birds, mice, pets, and other animals will most likely eat them. As they fly over and around you, there’ll be lots of noise from their buzzing sounds but there’s nothing to be scared of.
Concerning periodical cicadas, this occurrence will go down as one of the largest, with experts forecasting that you could find anywhere from 30 billion to 1 trillion of these insects underground. So expect to witness a very big swarm if you live in any of the areas likely to be affected.
Why do Brood X cicadas emerge every 17 years?
Scientists and researchers think that emerging every 17 years helps to deal with the threat posed by predators. By the time they emerge, their numbers are so large that it becomes virtually impossible for all of them to get eaten by animals and birds. There are also other theories regarding why Brood X cicadas emerge when they do. Cicadas are very noisy insects. They produce so much noise that you could even hear them without seeing them once they are in the area. Concerning how much noise this species makes, a college of Mount St. Joseph entomologist, Gene Kritsky pegs it at 94 decibels. This measurement shows that cicadas create so much noise that it could be impossible to hear an airplane in the sky.
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