Illinois is set to see a unique event the rise of two large groups of periodical cicadas. This hasn’t happened since way back in 1803 and it’s bound to be an intriguing natural show, even predating the establishment of Chicago as we know it.
Cicada Emergence Explained
Periodical cicadas are interesting because they spend most of their lives under the ground, only coming up when the earth’s warmth hits around 64°F. They’re famous for their lengthy developmental stages, appearing every 13 or 17 years depending on the type. “Their emergence can shift a bit based on how warm or cold the local ground is,” says Ken Johnson, who teaches horticulture at the University of Illinois.
2024 Cicada Map for Illinois
For the first time in over two hundred years, Illinois will experience two groups of cicadas coming out at once.
of both the 13-year and 17-year cicada broods,
- Northern Illinois, the 17-year cicadas, or Brood XIII, will make an appearance.
- Southern Illinois, Residents can expect to see the 13year cicadas, also known as Brood XIX.
Specific Areas to Watch
- Chicago Area, even though city life usually keeps cicadas away, parts of Chicago with old trees might see a bunch of them.
- Historical Sites, Places like where Fort Dearborn stood, now just a busy crossroad, probably won’t have any cicadas coming up.
Why the Cicada Buzz Matters
Cicadas don’t bite or sting but they’re super important for their local environments. After popping up for a short while, these bugs get busy mating and then they die off. Catherine Dana from the Illinois Natural History Survey says, “There are so many that pop up at once that enough of them manage to survive even though predators eat lots of them.”
Billions of cicadas are about to swarm Illinois, putting the state in the spotlight for this bug event. “In Illinois, you’ll find it tough to avoid them,” Dana points out. People should brace for a lot more noise since male cicadas are really loud when they’re trying to find a mate.
Cicadas might pop up sooner than we think because of warmer weather and climate change. “An especially warm spring with good rain could make the soil heat up fast, bringing the cicadas out early,” Allen Lawrance from the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum mentions. Some places in Illinois could see cicadas emerging by mid-May.
Cicadas aren’t harmful to people or animals. But still, there’s going to be a ton of them around.
Cicadas can be a bit too much to handle. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources suggests enjoying this natural event but warns not to use pesticides. They don’t really work well for so many bugs and they can hurt other animals. They would rather have people record what they see and join in local science projects.
Longterm Environmental Benefits
When cicadas die, they make the soil richer with nutrients which helps plants grow and forests come back to life. “This natural process is good for the environment because it gives a big help to young trees and plants,” says Dana.
Conclusion
The coming out of the cicadas in Illinois in 2024 is a great chance to learn and appreciate nature. Even though they’re loud and there’s lots of them, the good they do for nature and how rare this happens makes it worth learning about. People who live there or are just visiting should take this chance to get involved with this cool natural show, understand more about Gaining Insights into Nature’s Complex Cycles and exploring the natural world allows us to see the amazing patterns in which life thrives. Recently, we got to see an event that doesn’t happen often. This show of nature highlights how tough yet complex our environment is. It shows us a fine balance in nature we usually don’t pay attention to.
+ There are no comments
Add yours