When will cicadas return to Ohio?
Millions of cicadas are due to emerge after 17 years underground. But when will the noisy little critters invade Ohio again?
When will cicadas return to Ohio?
Remember that deafening buzzing sound back in 2004? Who could forget the bulging red eyes of those annoying little critters?
After 17 years underground millions of cicadas from brood IX will return to swarm parts of the United States this year, including Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia.
Cicadas, who only live for a mere four to six weeks, spend much of their lives underground, and emerge in different parts of the country at different times–sometimes annually, and sometimes periodically, every 13 or 17 years to mate.
However, periodical cicadas occasionally get the timing of their otherwise highly synchronized life cycle mixed up. Back in 2017, a loud brood of cicadas emerged in Ohio four years early.
Apart from being noisy as hell, cicadas are not a threat to humans. They don't bite or sting, nor do they carry disease. Cicadas are also beneficial to ecosystems. They prune mature trees, aerate the soil, and after they die, their decaying carcasses become excellent fertilizer.
The cicada class of 2004 is officially expected to re-emerge in the spring of 2021. Next year's noisy invasion will hit several states, including Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
So for those planning Miami Valley cicada parties, just one more year to wait.
