Why Are Swarms of Cicadas Invading Central and Southern Kentucky?

LEXINGTON, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — Depending on where you live, chances are you’ve probably heard that loud screeching noise that feels like it’s never-ending.

Brood 14 cicadas have made their presence felt across 12 states, especially in Kentucky.

Between the endless screeching and the relentless splatter decorating outdoor-parking vehicles, FOX 56 is trying to answer the question: What’s the deal with cicadas?

Kentucky has been labeled as the “ epicenter ” of the cicadas’ emergence, according to area entomologists.

Places that are newer construction are probably less likely to have it,” explained Entomology Professor at the University of Kentucky Jonathan Larson. “Anywhere that’s been recently kind of stripped, where the soil was taken away, might have taken away a lot of cicadas when they did that.”

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Larson said a given brood of cicadas will stay underground for 17 years. So, what are they doing for all that time?

“They suck sap out of the tree’s roots; it’s not very detrimental to the tree,” Larson described. “They spend 17 years kind of sucking up the sugary juice. It’s not very nutritious. Their biology is to wait 17 years for these species, and then they’ll start to crawl out.”

So, cicadas are looking for their next mate, and they are attracted to noise. For that reason, Larson suggested, at least for now, keeping the yard work to a minimum.

“Some of the cicadas will think that you’re the loudest cicada,” said Larson. “So, they’ll come and land on you and around you, thinking that they want to hang out and scream, or maybe even potentially mate with.”

Although it is classified as singing, why does it feel like the cicadas are SCREAMING!?

“The males are the ones that are making the noise,” detailed Larson. “They’re the ones that are capable of singing. They first make a sound that is trying to attract other males to the tree. They’re kind of saying, like, ‘Hey bro, this is the cool tree over here.’ Then, as the other males accumulate there, they’ll sing a chorus, which is that loud, surging song that we’re actually kind of hearing right now. That will bring females in who can’t sing, but they’ll kind of click their wings at the males and accept them as mates, and when they do that, the male will sing a courtship song. And then that will lead to the mating.”

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Larson said cicadas are completely harmless, so if one flies on you, don’t panic; just pick it off.

But now for the answer to the question you’ve all been waiting for: how long will the cicadas be around, and when will we be able to enjoy a nice summer evening?

Larson said by the last week of June or the first week of July, the cicadas should go away.

So, a couple more weeks and we will be free of their “singing.”

For additional information on periodical cicadas from the UK Department of Entomology, click here .

Madylin Goins contributed to this story.

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