WAUKESHA 鈥 We鈥檙e in for a loud, buggy spring this year. Brood XIII periodical cicadas will be emerging in the southernmost Wisconsin counties in May and June.
The Freeman spoke to PJ Liesch, UW-Extension entomologist, and Erin McKeon-Ricchio, seasonal naturalist at the Retzer Nature Center, about what to expect in Waukesha County.
Annual cicadas emerge every year in Wisconsin, but this year a 17-year periodical cicada brood will come out too. That鈥檚 right, these bugs hang out underground for 17 years before emerging, laying eggs and dying within a few months. The last time this brood came out was 2007.
鈥2024 is special because the emergence of TWO broods of periodical cicadas, XIII and XIX will be synchronized ...the last alignment of which last happened in 1803,鈥 said McKeon-Ricchio, explaining that the XIX cicadas are a 13-year periodical brood that is expected to be in Illinois this summer but not in Wisconsin. 鈥淚llinois will have both broods XIII and XIX through a big portion of the state, lucky them!鈥
When and where will they emerge?
鈥淲e're going to be seeing these insects emerge in the next month and a half in May and June,鈥 said Liesch. 鈥淥nce they're done, they're going to be gone for 17 more years after that ...You can live in Wisconsin your entire life and you might only get a handful or so of opportunities to witness this amazing natural phenomenon.鈥
Unfortunately for those interested in seeing the phenomenon 鈥 and fortunately for anyone who doesn鈥檛 like bugs 鈥 Waukesha County may not see a mass emergence of brood XIII cicadas.
鈥淭hey may emerge in pockets around the southern part of the state. It may depend on their natural habitat situation after 17 years 鈥 the trees in the ecosystem, amount of open ground,鈥 said McKeon-Ricchio.
Liesch spent a portion of last winter digging through 150 years of newspaper articles, government and university reports to track historical sightings across Wisconsin.
鈥淚 have not found any reports from Waukesha County, going back a long time, decades if not longer,鈥 Liesch said. 鈥淲e do know you wouldn't have to travel very far, because you go down just south a little bit into Walworth County and that's actually where one of the single biggest hot spots is in the entire state. That would be the Lake Geneva area.鈥
What do they do when they emerge?
鈥淥nce the cream-colored nymphs emerge, they climb up into the trees, shrubs, poles, buildings, awnings, fenceposts, etc., and undergo a final molt,鈥 explained McKeon-Ricchio. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l spend several days resting as their wings and exoskeletons harden.鈥
After shedding their exoskeletons, the cicadas will begin the mating season for about a month. That鈥檚 when you鈥檒l hear the males singing to attract females. McKeon-Ricchio said most adult activity will cease by July, since the adults only live long enough to reproduce.
鈥淭he females cut small slits into twigs and small branches and inserts her eggs into the twig,鈥 said Liesch. 鈥淎fter about a month and a half to two months, those eggs will hatch and the young juveniles drop down to the ground.鈥
They don鈥檛 hibernate underground; the nymphs tunnel amongst tree roots and drink sap from trees. This doesn鈥檛 hurt the trees; in fact, no matter what stage of life they鈥檙e in, these brood XIII cicadas will be largely beneficial to the environment.
鈥淭hey technically can cause a little bit of damage to trees. Although large trees tend to tolerate this damage just fine without any issue,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hey're emerging in tremendous numbers by the millions, billions or even trillions across the U.S. this year. It's going be an amazing buffet for wildlife.鈥
All sorts of birds, fish, turtles, snakes, and small mammals like skunks and raccoons are going to gorge themselves, says Liesch. They are also great for your lawn. As they emerge, they aerate the ground, allowing for nutrients to enter the soil easily. Cicadas also decompose back into the ecosystem.
As for how loud they get, Liesch says the singing of a single periodical cicada, up close, has a volume level similar to that of a busy highway. From further away, they can be as loud as a vacuum cleaner.
McKeon-Ricchio assured that these cicadas are harmless if you plan on spending time in any of the hot spot areas this spring. They don鈥檛 sting or bite.
鈥淎s adults they do have a proboscis which might accidentally poke you if handled, but otherwise, no harm to humans,鈥 she said.
Liesch encourages people to take a trip into a cicada zone.
鈥淵ou only have so many opportunities in your entire life to witness this amazing natural phenomenon. So, I'm really excited to see them, personally,鈥 he said.
