Brooding Over Cicadas

There are several species, or “broods,” of magicicadas – periodical cicadas with synchronized life cycles that appear in different regions.

More than 150 species of cicadas around the United States are annual, appearing every year in far smaller numbers than their periodical counterparts.

Brood XIX is the largest brood, geographically speaking, appearing in portions of 15 states in the Southeast and Southern Midwest, from Maryland westward to Oklahoma, and as far south as Mississippi.

Do you have a cicada story or photo to share? Enter our cicada contest.

Learn About Cicadas

Did you know? Adult cicadas of Brood XIX emerge from the ground when soil temperatures about 4 inches under the ground’s surface warm up to 67 degrees. Learn more about cicadas by flipping through the pages of our digital magazine. Click on the magazine to zoom in, or click here to download a printable PDF.

Read All About It: Cicada Edition

It has taken them 13 years to make their return to be seen by the public with their ugly, large red eyes. They will swarm lawn mowers and weed eaters, thinking that the machines are one of their kind, which makes them not only ugly but also somewhat stupid in our scheme of things. That could be one reason people back in 1998 on their arrival from a 13-year sleep under the ground, nicknamed these flying insects the “kamikaze screamers.”

Yum?! In the Kitchen With Cicadas

Yep, you can eat them… Watch as our chef prepares cicadas in two ways – stir-fried and chocolate-covered – and our willing participant chows down this culinary delicacy.

They Talk … and Tweet!

Cicada Brood XIX nymph emerging We recently had the opportunity to interview one of the swarms of tweeting cicadas on Twitter, CicadasXIX, who happen to reside in Nashville.

Read their thoughts on everything from the Royal Wedding to Bonnaroo and other musings on life as a cicada: Interview With a Cicada

Cicada Creativity

Back in 1998, Joel Anderson of Anderson Design Group wanted to honor the cicadas in style, but the infestation had ended by the time he came up with ideas. That’s good news now – he’s spent the last 13 years preparing for the next round of cicadas in Middle Tennessee, and the designers at Anderson Design have created a, well, swarm of cicada-themed gifts, prints and T-shirts. Would you like a guitar-shaped fly (or should we say, cicada) swatter or an “I Survived the Music City Cicada Invasion” poster? They’ve got you covered. We’re also giving away one of their cicada prints to the person who submits the best cicada story and/or photo. To enter, check out our Cicada Contest.

The Buzz on Cicadas

Share your cicada story for a chance to win a limited-edition Cicada Invasion print!

“Cicadas are a strong sign summer is here. I raise guineas so obviously nature's noises don't bother me. Plus they are great protein for the poultry.” – Joy Hattaway Beach

“I love the sound they make.” – Mary Ann Brewer

“The constant, repetitive, lulling and soothing sound hypnotizes me into a sweet, carefree sleep. To this day, when I hear the sounds of the cicadas on a warm, sunny afternoon, I remember my childhood.” – Rhonda Graham

Send us your cicada stories and photos, and read what others have to say

Cicada Q&A

Q: Will it harm my cat or dog to eat cicadas?
A: Fortunately, they are generally harmless to
pets. Cicadas are not toxic to animals, nor do they bite, sting, or carry disease. While most pets enjoy these delicacies without any problems, the cicada exoskeleton can cause mild to severe gastrointestinal irritation, depending on the amount consumed and the size of the animal. If you note any vomiting or constipation, contact your veterinarian.
- Karen Tinkle, DVM

Q: Are cicadas and locusts the same thing?
A: No. Locusts are a migratory grasshopper often traveling in vast swarms and stripping the areas passed of all vegetation. Cicadas are members of a family (Cicadidae) of homopterous insects which have a stout body, wide blunt head, and large transparent wings. Unlike locusts, cicadas do not typically harm crops or vegetation other than trees, and they also don't migrate more than a half-mile during their lifetime.

Q: If you use a systemic insecticide on your trees and shrubs, will that deter the females from slicing open the branch and laying eggs?
A: Insecticides have not proven to be effective for preventing cicada egg-laying damage. Delay pruning young fruit trees until after cicada emergence so damaged branches can be removed and a proper scaffolding of branches can be established. When feasible, small, valuable shrubs and trees may be covered with a loose woven or spun fabric such as cheesecloth or floating row cover for protection while cicadas are present.
– Dr. Frank Hale, University of Tennessee entomologist

Q: Can you eat cicadas?
A: Yes, unless you're allergic to shellfish. Cicadas are arthropods, like crab and shrimp. See below for more details and even recipes.

Send us your cicada questions

Ugh, They’re Edible: Cicada Recipes

Yes, you can eat cicadas. We don’t recommend it, but according to a project by the University of Maryland's Cicadamaniacs, newly hatched cicadas, known as tenerals, are considered best for eating because their shells have not yet hardened. After you collect them (best done in the early morning, just after they’ve emerged), blanch the cicadas to make their insides solidify and remove any soil bacteria. You can then cook with them immediately, or freeze them. Their website has a number of cicada recipes, from Cicada Rhubarb Pie to El Chirper Tacos. Jenna Jadin, author of Cicada-licious: Cooking and Enjoying Periodical Cicadas, says chocolate-covered cicadas are her favorite. We’re not advocating eating them, but if you so desire, here’s the recipe:

Chocolate-Covered Cicadas
8 squares of good-quality dark, white or milk chocolate
30 dry-roasted cicadas
1. Roast teneral cicadas for 15 minutes at 225ºF.
2. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a double-boiler over low heat. Dip insects in chocolate, place on wax paper and refrigerate until hardened.

More Cicada Recipes [PDF]

Did You Know? Cicada Fun Facts

• Cicadas live underground for years before appearing in great numbers in order to emerge from the ground unexpected by prey and have a better chance of survival.
• Some fruit producers consider cicadas to be a good year for crops such as cherries, as the birds will be too full from preying on cicadas that they don’t eat the fruits.
• Adult cicadas fly, at the most, a half-mile during their lifetimes.
• Periodical cicadas achieve astounding population densities, as high as 1.5 million per acre.
• Cicadas love the heat, so you might notice the noise getting louder as the temperatures get hotter.
• Female cicadas make tiny slits in the branches of trees – sometimes as many as 20 slits in a single branch – to lay their eggs inside.
• After hatching, the cicada nymphs then fall to the ground and burrow into the earth, where they will spend the next 13 years.