Broods on the Horizon, The Dual Emergence of 2024

With the arrival of spring, Chicago becomes the stage for a remarkable natural event the massive emergence of cicadas. These insects, known for their sheer numbers and loud singing, are beginning to appear. Many locals are excited and intrigued by this. People from the community who enjoy nature have filled social media with early reports about these cicadas’ return, signaling the start of an unforgettable nature show in the area.

The weather gets warmer, and the ground softens just right for millions of cicadas who have been silently growing underground for either 13 or 17 years to surface all at once. This year is particularly unique because it features the overlapping emergence of two significant cicada groups Brood XIII and Brood XIX. Such a joint occurrence has not happened in over two hundred years, making this an exceptional biological phenomenon.

This event grabs the attention of the public and provides key insights for scientists studying natural cycles and how climate changes affect living things.

Early Sightings Spark Excitement

Last weekend, Chicagoans went on Reddit and Facebook to share their early sightings of cicadas. On the Chicago subreddit, someone posted a video showing cicada tunnels and a few early cicadas under bricks near their neighbor’s fence, indicating a large group soon to appear in their yard. At Monument Park, another person took a picture of one cicada that got everyone talking on local social media.

Understanding Cicada Emergence

Cicadas are unique insects that spend most of their life underground. They surface only after 13 or 17 years, depending on their group. This year’s emergence is particularly noteworthy because this year marks the first time since 1803 that the 13year and 17year cicada broods have emerged at the same time in Illinois. This event is set to affect a large part of the U.S from the deep South to the Midwest.

Key Points About Cicadas,

• Size and Appearance, Cicadas are about an inch long and have a wing of three inches.
• Lifespan, these insects can live underground for up to 17 years, making them the longest living insects.
• Sound, the noise they make when mating can be as loud as 100 decibels, which is as noisy as a subway train.

The Broods of 2024

• Brood XIII (Northern Illinois Brood), This group mainly appears in northern and central Illinois but also reaches into Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.
• Brood XIX (Great Southern Brood), This brood spans across 15 states in parts of the South and Midwest. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes that young cicadas emerge when the soil temperature reaches about 8 inches.

Below the surface warms up to above 64 degrees Fahrenheit. This usually happens when spring starts settling in, although the timing can change each year.

What to Expect in the Coming Weeks

A Symphony of Sounds

Jim Louderman from the Field Museum compares the upcoming loudness of cicadas to “100 chainsaws running at once.” This noise will be especially intense this year as both 13year and 17year cicada groups emerge together.

The Cycle of Life

The adult cicadas will deposit their eggs high in the trees. Roughly 10 days later, these eggs will hatch. The young nymphs then fall to the ground to dig and start their long life underground. This process is crucial for avoiding predators by appearing in huge numbers, a tactic that has been successful since ancient times.

Environmental Impact and Human Interaction

Cicadas are quite safe around humans and do not react to sprays used for pests. When they appear, they benefit local ecosystems by providing ample food for many animals that hunt them.

Advice from Experts,

• Enjoy the Natural Phenomenon, the sound can be loud, but this event allows us to watch one of nature’s most interesting cycles in action.
• No Need for Pesticides, Cicadas hardly harm plants, and pesticides do not work on them.

Preparing for the Emergence

As the ground gets warmer near mid-May, people should get ready for a lot of cicada activity. This year’s arrival is a special natural occurrence which reminds us of the ongoing natural rhythms around us, noticed or unnoticed.

In conclusion, even though cicadas can be quite loud when they come above ground, their short presence is a captivating show of nature’s dynamic life cycle and its influence.

Resilience is key. Whether the sound is irritating or captivating for you, it’s undeniable that this event is extraordinary and occurs only once in several generations.