HERNDON, Va. — A large number of Brood X cicadas are now emerging throughout the region, making for some dramatic sightings.
"But where is the noise?" Herndon resident Jeff Herge asks.
Brood X is expected to raise sound levels in neighborhoods up to 100 decibels, which rivals the noise of a passing jetliner or a lawnmower running full blast.
“I’ve got tens of thousands coming up under this one tree right here,” Herge said pointing to the trunk of a tree next to his home. “I can hear some in the distance, but nothing really here.”
The answer is that it is still a bit too early, according to University of Maryland bug expert Dr. Mike Raupp, also known as “The Bug Guy”
“If your cicadas have just been up in the last three or four days it's going to take those rascals anywhere from about 6 to 10 days to become fully mature,” Raupp said.
Make cicadas have a special noise-producing organ called a “tymbal” that must harden with maturity, Raupp explained.
“It will be rocking here in the DMV very soon,” Raupp predicted.
Warmer temperatures predicted in the coming days are expected to accelerate the emergence rapidly. In the interim, Herge has taken to making time-lapse videos of emerging cicadas in Herndon and posting photos and videos to his Twitter account.
Cicadas festoon the fences and tree trunks on Herge's property.
"It's a mixed reaction," Herge said. "I'm fascinated. I'm not scared by them but I'm also disgusted at the same time. They're coming out of the ground and there's just tons and tons of shells."