The Great Cicada Emergence this year has been uneven. Some areas like Chicago suburbs had an excessive number of cicadas, while places like Chicago itself and the Northwest suburbs saw almost none. But now, by mid-June, we are more than halfway through with it.

Cicada Emergence: Uneven Effects

In sections densely filled with cicadas, the constant noise and mating have likely ended. Now the unpleasant stage of cicada emergence begins with piles of rotting cicada bodies generating a horrible smell.

The Odor from Rotting Cicadas

This smell was described in several ways including “roadkill,” “rotten eggs and plants,” and even “smelly feet and socks.” The important question is how long will we have to endure it?

Massive Die-off of Cicadas, The Composting Stage

With billions of dead cicadas in Illinois, it’ll take time for their bodies to fully compost into the soil leading to a prolonged period of stink. However, according to experts, decaying cicadas serve as superior fertilizer especially beneficial for trees.

Trees reportedly thrive better after a cicada emergence owing to the nutrient packed soil from decayed cicadas. So, focusing on healthier trees next year may assist us in bearing the foul smell, right?

How To Handle the Cicada Smell?

If you face difficulty dealing with “cicada smell”, there are multiple actions you can take,

• Rake up or shovel up the dead cicadas and add them to your compost.
• Rake or shovel the deceased cicada bodies and relocate them from your area.
• Dig a hole big enough to bury the mass of cicada bodies.
• Use a leaf vacuum to collect the bodies for disposal in a sealed container or a trash bin with a lid.
• Use that same leaf vacuum’s leaf blower feature to blow out the cicada bodies from your area.

According to most experts, the smell of dead cicadas will stay around two weeks after all activity has ceased.

Illinois Cicadas, When Will the Noise Stop?

Cicada site 2024 has certainly been unusual. In the time leading up to this prominent emergence, experts predicted Illinois would be full of and overwhelmed by mating calls of billions or even trillion 17-year-old cicadas.

In some areas, like Pecatonica, the cicadas were so dense and loud that people couldn’t even hear their own thoughts. However, many neighborhoods in Chicago didn’t notice anything at all due to significantly fewer or absent cicadas. This inconsistent pattern means while some are overwhelmed, others barely noticed it.

Midway Through, Indications That Cicada Time is Finishing Up

Once you start spotting paired off Cicadas mostly on trees, it’s an indication that the midpoint of this event has been reached or passed according to Dr John Cooley, an Entomology professor at Connecticut University. Finding lots of Cicadas on trees becomes an assurance that we’ve hit maximum capacity which will remain for some time then gradually disappear.

The break down stage

Cicada mating is followed by egg laying following which massive death of Cicada begin. The unattractive part of this sequence occurs in the decomposition period that leads to stinky decomposition of deceased bodies. This is especially unpleasant for those dealing with most of this emergence. As of now, the insects are in their mating phase but there isn’t much time before their lifespan ends.

According to the National Museum of Natural History, adult cicadas’ lifespan is approximately three to four weeks after they come up from the ground.

Post mating, male Cicadas complete their life cycle as female cicadas slit tree branches and lay eggs. While some males die immediately post reproduction. Others live a little longer.

Handling Dead Cicadas

As more Cicadas die out towards month end, decomposing their bodies back into soil will need time. Depending on the weather, full decomposition might take a couple weeks although the smell will disappear sooner. Decomposition might lead to an unpleasant smell, but it is temporary and there are benefits for those who can tolerate it.

Perks of Dead Cicadas

“They serve as free fertilizer for trees,” states Kritsky. Just like their early life stages, dead cicadas offer environmental advantages too. Decomposed adult insects fall back onto the ground and aid in soil fertilization. You can even add decomposed cicadas into your compost pile that becomes an environmental regeneration’s exceptional illustration.

Conclusion

The Great Cicada Emergence in 2024 has been prominent making Illinois residents remember it well. While worst noises and reproductive cycles were managed, putrefying cicada bodies will still generate foul smell for some remaining weeks. However, looking forward to next year’s fruitful environment makes bearing that stink worthwhile. As this emergence is decreasing, lookout for the egg hatching phase around middle July. This great phenomenon will help us understand the fascinating lifecycle of cicadas.