Missouri

They crawl, they fly, they’re loud, they crunch (more on this…), and they’re coming soon: Periodical Cicadas. The Kansas City area and a large chunk of the Midwest will soon play host to a brood of Periodical Cicadas – the big ugly bugs that only come out after a long period of years.Specifically, Brood XIX (19) is expected to arrive in late Spring/early Summer.Here’s what you need to know. When is the next cicada emergence?Brood XIX is expected to arrive in May and into June of 2024. The Missouri Department of Conservation says we last saw this brood in 2011, and it’s made up of four species of 13-year cicadas, bugs that pop out of the ground every 13 years. It’s sometimes called the Great Southern Brood since it stretches across 15 states, including much of Missouri, southern Illinois, Arkansas, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Why are experts saying there will be more cicadas in 2024? For the first time since 1803, Brood XIX is emerging at the same time as another swarm, Brood XIII (13). Brood XIII, known as the Northern Illinois Brood, makes its home primarily in parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, and perhaps the southern edge of Michigan.These are the 17-year cicadas.Will we see both broods of cicadas?Well, conservation experts say to never say never, but probably not. According to the MDOC, the 13-year brood and the 17-year brood both expected in 2024 “probably will not overlap geographically,” so we’re not dealing with an insect apocalypse around here.However, it is kind of cool to know the last time these two broods appeared together was when the Louisiana Purchase was signed and Thomas Jefferson was president. What do the insects look like?Periodical cicadas run slightly smaller than annual cicadas, the ones that come out toward the end of every summer.The periodical cicadas have black bodies, red eyes, and for wings with a gold, orange, or red tinge.They crawl. They fly. But they don’t jump. And they can’t harm people. So, no cicada bites.However, they can get really noisy. Adult males have an organ that produces a loud, raspy call used to attract females. Keep an eye on your tree trunks, and you might see a multitude of shed cicada skins left behind. When exactly will they arrive?They don’t have a plane ticket to track, or a specific date to pick out on the calendar, but, experts say there are triggers to watch for. Specifically, soil temperature eight inches below the surface must reach 64 degrees.MDOC says this often occurs after a nice warm, soaking rain, and usually in May. But they can show up as early as late April.Can you use insecticides on cicadas?MDOC said it’s “pretty much useless” to try. Your best bet is to protect small trees (the nymphs make slits in twigs to store eggs, thus weaking smaller trees ) by hosing them off with warm water, or wrapping foil or insect-barrier tape around them. You can also try covering a tree with netting. Yep, they’re crunchy.Many people worldwide eat cicadas. Birds also tend to feast on the insects.Experts also say a cicada emergence is a great time to go fishing, because of the large number of the insects that make their way to area water surfaces only to be gobbled up by the fish below. Have a dog that loves munching on the pests? You don’t want to let them overdo it. See the video above from 2015. How loud can they get?Cicadas can produce a mating call up to 90 dBA. That’s louder than lawnmowers and hairdryers. After 2024, when will we see them again?Per the Missouri Department of Conservation, Brood XXIII (23) should emerge in 2028. It comprises 4 species of 13-year cicadas.Brood III (3) should emerge in 2031. It comprises 3 species of 17-year cicadas.Brood IV (4) should emerge in 2032. It comprises 3 species of 17-year cicadas.