When are the cicada's supposed to "hatch"?

Question

I just moved to the far north Illinois suburbs and have an insect phobia. And where I live...there are TONS of trees and shrubs, what can I expect?

Thank you...

Answer 1

Well in Maryland, we have the 17-year cicadas and they hatched about three years ago. Usually, they really start to come out around May to June, and within a few weeks, they are gone again. If the area you live in has remained untouched, i.e. No major construction or land alterations has occurred in the last decade or so, then, if the region has been known to have cicadas, you can expect there to be a good amount of cicadas that emerge, depending on the cycle they follow.

Answer 2

The 17 year cicadas have been living underground as grubs, so they hatched a long time ago. The grubs will start emerging from the ground some time between May and June. About 50 to several hundred cicadas might emerge under each mature deciduous tree. When they emerge from the ground, the grubs are about one inch in length and they do not have wings. They crawl up on just about any vertical surface and the remain there for a few days while they shed their old shell and develop a new shell and wings.

The winged adults are a little larger than the grubs. The adults a look pretty scary for someone who is afraid of bugs. With the wings fully developed, the cicadas are about 2 inches in length, with a shiny greenish-black body and large orange eyes.

The bugs are completely harmless - they don't bite or carry diseases. But, the bugs are not very smart, they are poor fliers, and they can't tell the difference between a tree and other vertical things like a building, fence post, and even a person. So, they end up landing everywhere and the sheer number of bugs is amazing.

For about two weeks, you will not be able to avoid the bugs when you are outside. A small number of bugs will end up in your car and get carried into buildings by landing on people. The bugs will collectively become so loud at their peak that you sometimes cannot hear a normal conversation outside or be able to hear someone on your cellphone.

You will probably become familiar with the cicada dance, and maybe become very good at it if you are afraid of bugs. The cicada dance is a move that people do when a cicada lands on them and they jump around trying to shake off the bug. The whole scene is actually kind of bizarre and you need a good sense of humor to get through it.

Answer 3

The cicada "hatch", actually the emergence of the adults from pupation, happens every year, in the spring, after the sap has started running in the trees. Each year, a group of periodical cicadas emerges, seven, eleven, or seventeen years after the same group last emerged. The result of the overlapping cycles, the different sizes of each brood group, and the effect of soil temperature on survival to hatching means that in some years relatively few cicadas emerge and in other years very large numbers emerge. Some of these variations are very local, county by county, so you need to talk to an entomologist at the nearest college or university to find out what the actual pattern is in your neighborhood.

Answer 4

The Cicada will spend a great deal of its life in the nymphal stage. For some species it is a 13 to 17 year time period before they emerge to hang in the trees. The sound that is heard comes from the under side of the abdomen of the male of the species.

Answer 5

Cicadas hatch every year and live for about five weeks before laying their eggs and dying. The eggs hatch after 17 years and the cycle repeats.
There are several sets of cicada eggs developing right now and their 17 year cycle started at different times, so they hatch every year.
With your moderate climate you can expect to see a lot of insects, so you'll have to get over your phobia, or spend your summers indoors.

Answer 6

"The timing of emergence is determined by soil temperature." "Abnormal springtime weather can delay or accelerate the timing of emergence. What causes them to emerge in a specific year is not well understood."

And...

"What tells a periodical cicada nymph that it is time to crawl out of the ground? Scientists aren’t really sure. One theory is that the queue comes from several signals including increased sap flow in the tree and soil temperature.?"

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT INFO FOR YOU IS:
"The 2007 emergence of the periodical cicada in the Chicagoland area will occur in late May when soil temperatures reach 64 F."

AND HERE'S A LITTLE ARTICLE QUOTE FOR YOU, SINCE YOU LOVE BUGS SOOOOO MUCH:
"Wolford recommended sitting back and enjoying this wonder of nature. "It won't occur again until 2024," he said."

Answer 7

Cicadas will emerge each year. There are mass emergences every 17 years, but there are always "stragglers" that emerge yearly. Your best bet is to get over your phobia. Cicadas are harmless. They dont bite. They make a lot of noise though. :)

Answer 8

Well first off, if you are a person that isnt interested in insects (like most people) you shouldnt move to that area of high populated tree and wood areas for bugs. But if it was for work or something then i can see why. All i can say it to keep your house free of crumbs from food and to put up screens in your windows.

Answer 9

They usually 'hatch" in early summer . I love the sound of the cicadas. They are my wake up call for my summer.

Answer 10

I don't know when they are due in your area, but the little fellas won't bite you. An army of them though, sure can make a irateing noise.