This Spring, Millions Of Cicadas Are Set To Emerge In North Carolina After 17 Years Underground
You’ll want to make sure you have earplugs on the ready this spring when billions of cicadas will emerge in 16 eastern states, including North Carolina. This year marks the 17th year for the Brood X (that’s Brood 10) emergence, last seen topside back in the spring and summer of 2004. Brood X is the largest in mass of the 15 different broods of cicadas.
During these uncertain times, please keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket list to visit at a later date.
In the spring, when the soil temperature rises to 64 degrees at eight inches below the surface, the cicadas will surface.
The males make the majority of the nuisance noise associated with cicadas by popping the tymbals found on their abdomen in and out to make the sound in order to call out to females. (If only it were this easy for humans!) Females merely flutter their wings in response. And at some point, the two will have a magic moment resulting in procreation of the species.
Once the male and female mate, the female retreats to the branches of a tree to lay her eggs.
There are the two obvious red ones, and another three smaller ones in triangle layout found between the two red ones.
How do you usually cope with the overwhelming sound the cicadas make when they emerge in your neighborhood? We’d love to hear your suggestions, so leave a comment!
