What’s the buzz around the emerging cicadas in Illinois this year?

HUNTLEY – Huntley residents may have heard news regarding the 17-year cicadas expected to emerge this year across 15 states, including Illinois. The emerging cicadas, part of Brood X, are known as periodical cicadas which are divided into their respected brood groups based on the year and geographical emergence location, according to an article posted by Candice Hart, a University of Illinois Extension Program State Master Gardener specialist.

Luckily for Kane and McHenry Counties, Brood X will only make their noisy appearance in western Illinois this year. Northern Illinois can expect to see the brood with the reputation for being the largest emergence anywhere, in late May 2024. Brood XIII last appeared in 2007, according to the Morton Arboretum.

For those wondering, the emerging cicadas are different than the “dog day” cicadas or annual cicadas that are heard every year from around July to September. The Morton Arboretum describes the annual cicadas as green to black in color and nearly being double the size of the periodical cicadas that are described as having shiny, jet black bodies, with burnt orange transparent wings and bright red eyes.

My Huntley News consulted with Richard Hentschel, a horticulture instructor with the University of Illinois Extension Program, to learn just a bit more about these noisy critters and their effects on the environment when Brood XIII does make their grand entrance come 2024.

For starters, Hentschel stated that cicadas and locusts should not be confused for being the same, seeing as cicadas are often mistakenly referred to as locusts.

“Locusts and cicadas are as different as possible. Locusts are a specific kind of grasshopper, live above ground, etc. Cicadas spend nearly all of their lives below ground,” Hentschel wrote in an email statement.

While both insect species do emerge in masses, cicadas are not typically considered to be destructive. Locusts can eat all of the vegetation they encounter in their path, according to National Geographic reports.

Cicadas also do not pose a threat to people as according to Hentschel. The many years spent underground only intensifies their focus on finding a mate and eating, which they don’t eat much, afar from sucking sap from young twigs, the Morton Arboretum reports.

As to what residents can expect to encounter when the large brood of cicadas emerge, Hentschel explains:

“Hundreds/thousands of approximately ½ inch holes in open bare dirt and in lawns. Next, they are likely to begin to see brown empty exoskeletons clinging to [tree trunks] and branches, as the now adults [move to] the canopies.”

Hentschel says the emergence event will typically last anywhere from four to six weeks or six to eight weeks.

Their emergence alone won’t cause any damage to plant life, however, the adult, egg-laying female cicadas may pose a threat to some trees and shrubs.

The Morton Arboretum states that damage is mainly confined to smaller twigs and branches from the numerous cicada eggs that can be laid. They report that oak, hickory, apple, peach, and pear trees are the most seriously damaged species, however older, mature, native trees are not typically harmed from the egg-laying.

“Younger, smaller trees and large shrubs could be protected from egg laying damage with ¼ inch sized netting. Larger holes allow cicadas to enter and still damage the plants,” Hentschel stated.

Hentschel explained that residents should just leave cicadas alone, should they find themselves encountering a large quantity of them on their property.

“They should be left alone. They will be in such large numbers; management is not practical. Let them be, ditto from above. They will be food for other wildlife, insects, etc. and will be returned to nature.”

Speaking of food, when asked if cicadas are safe for human consumption should an individual want to chow down on one or a few, Hentschel responded with, “Cicadas are edible, soft and chewy while young, crunchy when older.”

Though sources like the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering, warn individuals that cicadas like the ones from Brood X, have been found to have surprising high levels of mercury.

Tim Keener, a researcher at the university’s civil and environmental engineering department only cautioned certain individuals on limiting the number of cicadas eaten.

“We recommend that humans, especially pregnant women and young children, limit the amount of cicadas they eat as a result of these preliminary findings. We do not believe that eating a small number of these insects will result in irreparable harm, but mercury exposure may harm an unborn baby or young child’s developing nervous system.”

The same could probably be said for any cats and/or dogs that may choose to feast on these singing insects. Though pet parents might want to keep a close eye on their furry friends, as a cicada’s tough exoskeleton and rigid wings might be hard to digest and cause pets to either choke or have some stomach upset.

All that aside, adventurous individuals may only need to do a quick web search to see that these little bugs are in the same family as shellfish, so those with a shellfish allergy may want to skip out on a cicada feast. Otherwise, the Internet offers a few ways to prepare cicadas for consumption, if one truly dares to tread the exotic world of insect eating.