1 Trillion Cicadas to Invade Midwest and Southeast US by End of April: What You Need to Know

By the end of April, 1 trillion cicadas from two different groups are expected to begin appearing in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. (Image/Dazhi/Associated Press)

It is expected that at the end of April, 1 trillion cicadas from two different groups will begin to appear in the Midwest and Southeast of the United States. This situation is very rare to appear together; About 16 regions across states are the epicenter of these cicadas from time to time, and unlike those that appear in smaller numbers each year, wooded areas, including urban green spaces , more likely to see more cicadas than agricultural areas.

According to the New York Times, entomologist Floyd W. Shockley said that if 1 trillion cicadas (each about 2.54 centimeters long) were placed end to end, they would cover 25.4 million kilometers, and that the cicada train would travel to the moon and back 33 The second stage. The Midwest and Southeast should be busy for about six weeks, Shockley said. In most cases, cicadas live about a month and die not far from where they appeared.

The first cicadas are expected to appear at the end of April heavy rain, they will break out of the ground in large numbers, their red eyes looking for a place where they can mature peacefully. and the sound will gradually increase, creating an assembly.

Shockley said cicadas do not bite, sting, and do not carry any diseases, but because cicadas are not good spreaders, they are often found on sidewalks and city streets, where could they be crushed by people or cars, “In cities In areas where there are enough bodies that their bodies must be removed, but people should not throw garbage or cleaned by street sweepers, they should be considered free fertilizers for plants in gardens or natural areas.”

How do you get rid of cicadas? John R. Cooley, professor of biology at the University of Connecticut, said that the best advice is to let nature take its course to aerate the soil, allowing rain water to enter the ground, and tree root nutrition in the hot summer. “The forest is where they live, and they are part of the forest. Don’t try to kill them, don’t try to spray pesticides or anything like that, this will only lead to bad results.”