Cicadas Are Back

After a 17-year break, the periodic cicada occupation of the United States is fully underway. The red-eyed flying insects have emerged, split their exoskeletons are starting the intense, and loud, process of creating the next generation of periodic cicadas.

Love them or loath them, there is no way to avoid seeing members of Brood X (as in the Roman numeral 10), as they come out by the billions, if not trillions, in 15 states in the East and Midwest.

At a bus stop in Silver Spring, in May 2004 sisters Alex and Gabby Rhoades, along with some young school friends, spoke how they enjoyed playing with cicadas or how much they hated them.

17 years later, they reflect on what the periodic invasion of their neighborhood means.

"To see what I thought were enormous bugs kind of swarming my life, my backyard, you know, the bus stop I thought was terrifying, " Alex said.

In contrast, younger sister Gabby finds them fascinating. "I just think it's so cool to see them leave their exoskeleton and turn out by now and then change color. So I remember playing them, playing with them a lot when I was younger," she said.

When they emerge from the soil, they shed their exoskeletons on trees and walls, leaving husks in their wake. And they can go everywhere: trees, doorsteps, sidewalks, cars and even on people who don't shoo them away.

Many places already are overloaded, with singing bugs covering walls and trees.

And then there are the eerie songs. The noise can sound like the soundtrack to a bad science fiction movie, but it's actually the males' mating call. The creatures are like hormone-hopped teenagers, said University of Maryland bug expert Mike Raupp, whose own neighborhood is already in full cicada explosion.

"For 17 years they've been underground living a COVID-like existence, social distancing," Raupp said. "But in the 17th year they come up, usually at nightfall they make a mad dash to the trunk of a tree or another vertical structure. Their exoskeleton or skin splits open and the beautiful adult cicada comes out."

Some people are spooked by them. Other people, like Raupp, eat them. Chefs have recipes.

In 2021, Gabby Rhoades decided to try her hand at baking chocolate chip cicada cookies.

Most of these bugs will get eaten, but not by people. Birds, snakes, dogs, cats and even ants can feast on them.

These bugs have been coming out like this for millions of years. And the United States _ with two small exceptions _ is the only place that gets cicadas that come out every 17 or 13 years. Other places get them every year.

"I think everyone can relate to someone in that (2004) video," said Alex Rhoades.

The bugs will be gone by around July 4, after the female lay eggs in tree branches. The eggs will hatch in July and August, the baby bugs will tumble to ground, burrow below the soil, feed off tree roots and stay hidden until 2038.

Enjoy, or fear them, while you can.

Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.

Connect with us on…

[davebartosh]

Why did they clickbait us by saying "you haven't seen anything, yet?" I came here expecting news like the Cicadas had made a demand on mankind.

[knuckledragonfly]

They're really pushing this eating bugs thing

[joshadams]

People eat these? I dont want to live here anymore

[Ccsh]

Who looks at a cicada and thinks “hmm I wonder how they taste?”

[joetucci]

I like to watch lions in wild .. never had the urge to eat one

[ampillustrations]

How much did Bloomberg pay her to say she bakes cicadas into cookies?

[eclipsedeucy]

I was ambushed by a cicada yesterday. It was crawling inside my pants near my knee. I'm glad I didn't squash it inside my pants leg. I gave it a gentle touch and it fell out my pants leg on the floor. I was shocked to see the size of it.

[robert_-_]

God bless all of you go with christ before its too late

[anotherbloodyfanwriter]

Damn your pods and damn your bugs. I’m a human being dammit, and I will not live like an animal!

[foxhazglocks]

These bugs are loud and annoying.
There, I just saved you 2 minutes.

[djcbanks]

This is my third encounter with Brood X. I love their little beady red eyes. When I was younger I had a cat that I could feed them to and she would bite the heads off and the body would flop and fly around for a few minutes afterwards. Good times. 😂

[solcorvinusoftiktok]

Bugs being used as food.... what’s new about that?

[mikehock]

I'm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and I ain't even hear one yet

[Dra]

I remember in the 70s I would have my girlfriend and I was holding her hand and I used to hear the cicadas

[HamedEmine]

Damn, I wish life could look at me like the girl on the right

[DanE]

Soon as she said she found them interesting I knew she ate them

[S.E.C-R]

No thank you… bugs creep me put, especially THIS many!!!

[fullcontactdownhillgymnast]

Close to actual journalism. Still reinforcing social distancing and eating bugs. But this is better than usual

[inkdredneck]

I have them EVERY year here. This brood is alot smaller than the ones i have EVERY year.

[F_C...]

I like how they snuck in the great reset bug eating propaganda, at the end there. "you will live in the pod, you will eat the bugs, you will own nothing and you will be happy"