The Cicadas Have Arrived: Millions Of Noisy Bugs Plague U.S. This Spring—But Bring These Benefits

[Geee]

Forbes

Cicadas have begun popping up in states across the country, and this spring will be the first time in 221 years that periodical cicada broods XIII and XIX—which is the largest of all broods—will simultaneously emerge in the same place, with cicadas from both groups set to appear in Illinois and Indiana.

 

KEY FACTS

Periodical cicada broods are regional groupings that spend most of their lives burrowed underground, but emerge in the spring on a similar schedule as adults to mate either every 17 years or every 13 years, according to the University of Connecticut.

 

Social media posts about the event have gone viral, with a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying the synchronized emergence is a “bad omen for an election year,” while an Instagram post with over 400,000 likes called it a “simultaneous explosion” of bugs.

 

Although they’re known for their noisiness, the attention the bugs have received on social media has led some users to question whether they will negatively affect agriculture—but because their main goal when they emerge is to mate and they die shortly after, adult cicadas don’t eat much and don’t do a lot of damage to crops and gardens, according to the Clemson University College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences.

 

However, they can damage young shrubs and trees by laying eggs on the branches, which aren’t strong enough to withstand the weight of the up to 400 eggs laid at once, though the best way to combat this is by laying netting over young shrubs, according to the Department of Agriculture.

They also don’t pose any danger to humans or pets because cicadas don’t bite and aren’t poisonous, and provide benefits to the environment like adding nutrients to the soil when they decompose, aerating lawns and improving water filtration, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The bugs’ main annoyance is their loud mating call that can reach up to 100 decibels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is as loud as a lawn mower, forklift or subway train.

[Geee]

Billions of noisy cicadas emerge from slumber across the US

Cicadas are beginning to emerge throughout the Southern and Midwestern parts of the United States of America.

Parts of Illinois will serve as a cross-section for the two broods of periodical cicadas that have spent years living underground before emerging together to briefly mate and die.

 

 

 

 

[Geee]

For those Bill Gates fans, I will note that there are plenty of recipes on line 

[Valin]

@Geee

Cicadas are fine....Until Something Goes Horribly Wrong!

Tremors TV Serise

“The Sounds Of Silence”   
Mixmaster has created a deadly swarm of mutated insects that infest the valley and kill a herd of horses and two construction workers. Making matters worse, El Blanco is both driven away and kept away by the high pitched sound the swarm of bugs make to disorient their prey before devouring it. Being extra sensitive to high frequency sounds, El Blanco heads toward the base of the mountains to stay alive. Meanwhile, since Burt is out of town, Tyler must work with a woman who seems to have a lot in common with the survivalist, even though she claims they would dislike each other in person. Also, Larry is back, apparently to stay. Working together, the three trap the bugs in road tar using termite mating calls and kill them by lighting them on fire with gasoline. As a said nuisance, the townsfolk have to put up with Larry, who has decided to move to Perfection as it suits his taste in weirdness. After Larry helps kill the bugs, Nancy allows him to stay in Mindy's old room for a while, but plans to kick him out when he cannot find and/or build a place of his own.

 

[Geee]