Within the coming weeks, a swarm of horrifying creatures will ravage our beautiful flat lands.
Cicadas, small insects that are known for loud humming and shedding, leaving brown shells everywhere, have been a large topic of discussion in Midwestern states lately.
- In the summer of 2024, larger-than-normal amounts of cicadas will be seen and heard, especially in central Illinois.
Cicadas emerge annually in broods, but higher numbers this year are expected due to the emergence of 2 different broods, Brood XIX and Brood XIII. Lucky for us, Illinois is right in the center and the only state where both broods will be found.
As spring temperatures begin to rise, the emergence of cicadas is nearing. The ground temperature needs to be around 64 degrees Fahrenheit, which means it is likely that these red-eyed creatures will be swarming by graduation.
“When I was 18, it was the last year they came out and since they weren’t really adapted to flying (from being underground their whole lives), they would just dive into you, which would be terrible for me because of my curly hair. I would see people literally shoveling cicada bodies to make paths to leave their house,” Amanda Long, NCWHS biology teacher, states.
Despite their appearance, cicadas are harmless to humans. This emergence will be beneficial to the food chain, as, “Environmentally, it’s kinda like a feast for all the other organisms. Ecosystems here are stable without cicadas since they’re only around every so often, so it’s really just a bonus meal for all the other species,” states Long.
Just remember to close your windows at night, otherwise, you may wake up to millions of tiny, glowing red eyes directed at you.
