WASHINGTON — Billions of cicadas will once again buzz their way around parts of the eastern United States this spring, but depending on where in the DMV you live, you may not ever see them.
WUSA9 spoke with Dr. Floyd Shockley, an entomologist and collections manager for the department of entomology at the National Museum of Natural History, to further undertsand their impact, from what areas will see them to what to do if you encounter them.
Two broods are emerging together this year: Brood XIII, a 17-year brood that is known as a northern Illinois brood, and Brood XIX, a 13-year great southern brood.
"What makes this year unique is usually there's only one or the other, a 17-year brood or a 13-year brood out at a time in a particular location," Shockley said. "And this year there's going to be two out. And that happens because with one being basically four years longer in the ground, after enough generations, 17 and 13 match up again. And so this is a really rare event that only happens about every 221 years."
The last time these two broods were out at the same time was the same year as the Louisiana purchase -- 1803.
But will the DMV get to experience either of these broods? Well, the Brood XIII is very localized to the northern half of Illinois, into Iowa, southern Wisconsin, and a little bit into Indiana. Brood XIX, in the past, has extended up into the southern part of Virginia. But due to multiple factors, including climate change, they now have a population that is in our area. As a result, south of Fredericksburg, close to the water, and then extending over into southern Maryland, there will be a population of Brood XIX, which has now established.
The cicadas do travel, Shockley said, but typically they don't have to move very far. They can end up mating within 100 yards from where they emerge from the ground. The distance of how far they go depends on where they think they will find females, as the males are the ones singing. The females fly to them based on how much they like the song and if it's the right species -- which could be considered a musical love story.
In 2021, Brood X, a 17-year brood, which is the big brood across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, emerged -- providing the area with one of its densest populations. Most of the area will not see many cicadas, besides the possibility of some Brood XIX, until Brood X emerges again in 2038.
Shockley stated that periodical cicadas, which these are, are not a danger to people or pets, and people can expect to see them start emerging in mid-April, with their peak being in May. In addition, they also do not damage trees, but if you want to protect ornamentals -- protective mesh is recommended.
To add to the fact, people can even eat them. After they die, people can experiment with eating the cicada nymphs, but it's suggested to do it while they're still soft and white before they harden. People with shellfish allergies can show sensitivity to them, and it is recommended they not consume them. Shockley has even had an eight-course meal with them, which he called phenomenal.
Hoping to see the cicadas? Shockley says there are seven species of them, and it is easier said then done to distinguish them from one another.
"There are three species that are part of the desum species group that morphologically cannot be told apart," he said. "You have to look at them genetically or listen to their song and study it using audio equipment. You can't tell them apart physically. And the same goes for the other two species groups. There's two species in each one, and you cannot tell them apart. So the only way you know that you're getting different species is by traveling to a space where they are not overlapping."
Here's some resources to help keep track of the cicadas:
Watch Next: What is the difference between the annual and periodical Cicadas? Your Cicada questions answered
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