The Cicadas Are Coming!

Gina pointed out this National Geographic article to me the other day. It highlights the coming of another brood of cicadas this summer: Brood X. My first reaction was that it sounded like a new X-Men comic book was ready to hit the shelves, but I ended up learning a lot more about cicadas than I have in a while.

For instance, there isn't just one large group that matures every 17 years; there are actually many subgroups (the broods) that crop up year after year in various sizes, depending on when they first started their cycle, like a graduating class. Brood X is the largest of these. So, it could be a very loud month or so this summer. I remember the last two times the cicadas emerged while I was growing up in WV. The first time, I was probably 5, and I recall staying outside late at night in mid-June just to hear them sing. The last time, I was at a summer camp for a couple of weeks near Jackson's Mill, and the things were flying everywhere and getting into absolutely everything, buildings and beds included. Fun times! However, don't be alarmed, because they don't attack people.

According to Tech's own Cooperative Extension program and their nifty maps, it looks like Blacksburg and Montgomery County won't be receiving the brunt of the brood. That bodes well for my sleeping habits this June, but chances are I'll still see some (and by some, I mean thousands) as I take my various road trips.

Maybe I could just eat some for a free snack; apparently people do that.