Some parts of the country are bracing for a fairly rare occurrence – a trifecta of sorts, as it pertains to cicadas. Most folks around here, however, will experience only a couple of types of those giant insects who are emerging from their dormant states for their brief foray above ground.
According to Vance County Agricultural Extension Technician Wayne Rowland, Vance County may see some of the 13-year brood – they’re called periodical cicadas — along with the annual cicadas. “This year is a monumental year,” Rowland told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Monday’s TownTalk. The last time the two broods emerged was about 200 years ago.
How to tell the difference? The 13-year cicadas have orange eyes, but the annual cicadas a bigger than their 13- and 17-year brood relatives, Rowland explained.
Known for their loud thrum or hum, cicadas pose little to no problems for humans or animals. “They don’t sting,” Rowland said, but curious dogs and cats who sample the insects may wish they hadn’t eaten so many.
“If your dog eats a few of them, don’t be concerned – they’re not poisonous,” he said.
“You might see them again, but they’re not detrimental to humans or pets,” Rowland added.
Just like the recent solar eclipse, North Carolina is not in the sweet spot to witness the emergence of the two different periodical broods. Rowland said the 17-year brood will mainly be seen in Illinois and points North.
Locally, the 13-year brood will emerge west and north, he added.
We can always count on seeing the annual cicadas, but this year, there may be more swarming and humming in the air – and crunching under footsteps along sidewalks and on lawns.
Females lay their eggs in the bark of trees, which is a small nuisance for mature trees. It could, however, create more of a problem for young, recently planted trees. Consider putting some insect netting over these trees, spray them down with water to deter cicadas from landing on them or spray with liquid Sevin.
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