Every 17 years, Great Eastern Brood cicadas emerge from the ground in massive numbers. You may think you know what a cicada sounds like from sitting outside on a summer night, but the 17-year eruption is very different.
The insect’s arrival is estimated to be mid-May, so if they’re not here yet, they’re coming.
Whether you’re anticipating cicadas or experiencing them right now, we’re here to answer the questions that might be bugging you.
Do cicadas sting?
No, cicadas don’t sting or bite. They don’t have jaws or stingers. They do, however, pierce and suck, if one mistakes you for a plant or tree.
Will my pet get sick if it eats a cicada?
While the insects are not poisonous, if a pet eats too many, they could irritate the stomach and cause digestive issues. To distract your animals from munching on cicadas, try offering treats to gently redirect your pet away from the cicada, play a game of fetch or supervise pets when outdoors.
What attracts cicadas?
Believe it or not, the sound of power tools, lawn mowers and leaf blowers captivates cicadas. The females confuse the sounds with the rumblings of males. So if you take on yard work in the middle of the day, you might see more cicadas than usual. Consider working at dawn or dusk when temperatures are cooler and cicadas are less active.
How long do cicadas live?
Adults can live for a few weeks.
Do cicadas have a smell?
Not when they’re alive, but decomposing cicada carcasses are potent.
Will cicadas hurt my garden?
No, the good news is that cicadas aren’t here to eat your plants. They are here to mate.
A look back
The last time we saw these nuisances in these numbers was 2004. To be precise: We saw 10 trillion of them.
Here’s a trip down memory to what was happening during the last cicada revolution:
Notable events
- The summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
- NASA’s Spirit rover, part of the Mars Exploration Rover mission, returns to Earth.
- The Boston Red Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1918.
Popular culture
- Ken Jennings wins more than $2.5 million on Jeopardy!
- Facebook launches.
- 52 million people watch the Friends finale.
- The Motorola RAZR V3 is the best-selling cell phone.
Top Headlines
- Feb. 4 – Boston Globe: Champs Again (Patriots win Super Bowl)
- June 9 – Chicago Tribune – Flood of Reagan Admirers Pay Tribute
- Oct. 28 – Boston Globe: YES!!! (Boston Red Sox win World Series).
- Nov. 4 – USA Today: Bush Calls Win “Historic.”
Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
