Brood of cicadas returning to Tri-State area after 17 years

NEW YORK (PIX11) — A noisy type of cicadas known as "Brood X" will be returning to New York and New Jersey for the first time in 17 years this summer.

The cicadas, named for the Roman numeral for 10, will begin appearing in May and stay until mid-June, numbering potentially in the billions, according to the Associated Press. This is part of their normal life cycle, according to Dr. George Hamilton, head of the entomology department's graduate program at Rutgers University.

"When the adults emerge, they mate and females lay eggs in the slits the cut in the terminal ends of small branches," Dr. Hamilton said. "When they hatch, the larvae drop to the ground, bore into the soil, and feed on tree roots for the next 17 years."

The juveniles have been in the soil, feeding on tree roots in the intervening period, and are scheduled to appear soon. They are described as two to three inches in length with blueish black bodies, red eyes, and reddish-orange veins in their wings. They will also be very noisy for the few weeks they'll be here.

Other than this, the main problems may be for locals who have those sorts of trees where the cicadas lay eggs. "In areas where they emerge, homeowners with small woody plants or trees should cover them to prevent the egg-laying damage," Dr. Hamilton said.

Otherwise, the only other problems come with the noise, although people will see them and people may be startled by them. If people disturb them, they'll fly away.

You'll want to see them and document them now. According to the University of Connecticut, the next broods of cicadas slated to appear in this area won't be until 2024. Brood X, of course, likely won't be seen again until 2038, though the altering climate could change that.