Thomas Jefferson was our President the last time a rare occurrence of a trillion cicadas emerged from their underground life after which it will be another 221 years before these groups appear together again.
It is the first time since 1803 that brood XIX, or the Great Southern Brood and Brood XIII, or the Northern Illinois brood will appear together in an event known as a dual emergence.
A roughly 16-state area will be center stage for this occasion. which is different from the cicadas that appear annually on a much smaller scale.
To put this event in perspective, one trillion cicadas, each just over an inch long would cover over 15,000,000 miles if they were end to end.
When the ground temperature reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit combined with a soaking rain – the cicadas go on the move.
After more than a decade living on tree sap underground, they use their forelegs to tunnel out from the earth, their beady red eyes seeking spots where they can peacefully finish maturing.
The male cicadas will spend the waning days of their now short lives buzzing in an effort to find a mate — building a crescendo of song that as a chorus can be louder than a plane.
Despite their sheer volume and loud noise, they are not harmful. They do not bite, aren’t poisonous and your pet won’t get sick from chomping on a small number of them.
During their short time of roaring noise, the cicadas will mate, lay eggs and if all goes well, hopefully their descendants will sing together in 2245 inspiring awe of nature anew.
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