For roughly six weeks this summer, a few areas of the U.S. will host a giant cicada mating festival: the 17-year cicadas, also known as Brood X. That'll mean a lot of noise, a lot of empty cicada shells, and quite the disruption to a typically relaxing summer along Baltimore's waterfrot.
Back in 2004, this brood of cicadas hatched from their eggs high in the brances, then headed down underground to feed for years on the sap from tree roots quietly underground. Quiet is the key word, because the cicadas known as BroodX will not be quiet when they emerge from that 17-year underground existence. They'll be quite noisy while they try to find mates before they die.
Cicada fans, little boys and entomologists are excited for the event, which won't come our way again until the cycle repeats in 2038.
But others are not so excited. The critters leave carcasses all over the ground, they hang from trees, and the sound can be...disturbing.
But not to worry, say the officials at nearby resort town Ocean City, Maryland! They assure Baltimoreans and others from the DMV (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia) area that their ocean town will be a Cicada-free zone. The reason the beaches will be free of the noisy bugs is that since there are no tree roots, cicadas don't fancy setting up home in sandy soil. According to Orkin, "adult cicada habitats are the crown, trunk and small twigs of trees and woody shrubs," so beachfront areas are of no interest to them. Therefore, if you get tired of the "cicada screech," it's time to head to the beach for a bit.
This particular brood, known as Brood X cicadas, typically emerge from underground in late April through early May, when the soil temperature is warm enough for them to live and mate above ground. They live for a total of four to six weeks. That means that from late May to early July, the cicadas of Brood X will be found from northern Georgia to New York, and as far west as the Mississippi River.
Cicada populations are estimated at as many as 1.5 million cicadas per acre, which means brood population could rise into the trillions. Brood X is one of 15 broods of cicadas that appear on a regular schedule in the eastern United States. In this case, they emerge every 17 years. Brood X is thought to be the largest of the cicada populations, which is in part why this year's emergence has garnered so much attention. In such large numbers, it's not only the sight, but the sound, of cicadas that will be a bane to their human counterparts this summer. The cicada mating calls calls can reach up to 100 decibels in volume, which is nearly equal to the sound of a garbage disposal or chain saw.
It may be good that Baltimoreans are accustomed to wearning masks, since the cicadas have no sense of how to avoid predators. They will not avoid flying directly toward humans or other potential risks, nor will they fly away from similar dangers. It is not uncommon to have a cicada fly directly onto one's skin or clothing, and they are perfectly harmless, but unnerving.
When the cicadas last emerged, it was the same year that Lord of the Rings won best picture at the Oscars, the Summer Olympics were held in Athens, and Facebook was founded, so it's understandable that many of us are unfamiliar with how to deal with their presence. Though the cicadas are harmless to humans, they are very much annoying.
Because they are unaccustomed to sandy soil and will not breed there, heading to the Eastern Shore is a great idea for anyone hoping to avoid the icky bug (if you think bugs are icky). Ocean City's mayor Rick Meehan has considered reviving the city's successful 2004 campaign that Ocean City is a "cicada-free zone." Popular then with tourists hoping to free themselves of the loud noise and nuisance of the insets, the promotion, conceived of by then-Ocean City Director of Marketing Martha Clements may in fact be brought back to bring more folks from Baltimore City out to the shore to avoid the cicada din.
Other good news aout heading to the shore, an annual trip for most Baltmoreans anyway, is that Boardwalk mask mandates have been eased for travelers. While in Baltimore City, we'll still be masking up not only to avoid a bug-in-mouth but to maintain our dropping rates of Covid-19, the Ocean City guidance is now allowing visitors to remove masks while walking on the Boardwalk so long as they work to maintain safe physical distancing, a welcome change from last summer's more stringent rules.
Head to the shore, Baltimore - and take a cicada break.