As the United States grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, North Carolina and the Virginias will soon have insects to deal with.
Millions of the creatures are set to emerge later this month and into the summer after spending 17 years buried underground. The periodical cicadas are part of what scientists have labeled as Brood IX. There are dozens of different 17-year broods and three broods that hatch every 13 years, according to AccuWeather.
The brunt of this year’s brood will be felt in northwestern North Carolina, southwestern Virginia, and southeastern West Virginia. The temperature of the soil is part of what determines when exactly the bugs will emerge from the depths and swarm the skies.
John Cooley, a scientist with the University of Connecticut, said that the different broods occupy different regions of the country. Cooley tracks the various broods on his website.
“Presumably, the broods also reflect historical weather events or climate fluctuations that got some cicadas out of sync with their neighbors,” Cooley said.
While they spend the 17 years underground, the insects aren’t completely dormant. Cooley said the cicadas dig tunnels and eat tree roots to get a sense of what is going on above the ground and begin the process of emerging the fall before they appear.
Once they break ground, the bugs only live for about a month. During that time, females can lay hundreds of eggs, setting the stage for the next 17 years.
