Once in every 15-17 years, an amazing natural phenomenon occurs in which Cicada’s otherwise known as crickets to the lay man emerge from being years underground. In 1634, the pilgrims in US noticed millions of red eyed bugs emerging from the ground. As a puritan, this was seen as a religious event like the plague of locusts in the Old Testament, and it was feared that God was seeking vengeance. However, that is so far from reality, and in fact, it is an amazing phenomenon of nature.
The 2021 Cicadas that are emerging are known as Brood X which are the largest of the 15 known broods. It has been reported that South Carolina will not see any emergence, which strictly is not true. The Greenville and surrounding areas closer to North Carolina is expected to witness this phenomenon too and one university is even running a competition for the first to see and report a cicada emergence.
The cicadas weren't supposed to make an appearance before early or mid-May, yet several sightings of the insects were recorded in Washington, DC, southeast Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina a few days ago.
Are Cicadas Dangerous?
Cicada’s pose no threat to humans, and they do not bite nor sting, but they do swarm in numbers and get up into the trees to begin their mating rituals. The mating season will last 4-6 weeks and you will most definitely hear them with their high-pitched mating noise. The biggest problem to homeowners will be the holes in their yards as the cicadas begin to emerge.
There’s Safety In Numbers
They have little to no protection from predators and that is one of the reasons why there’s safety in numbers. It is very difficult for predators to feed on them singly when there're large swarms to deal with. The old adage is true “Safety In Numbers.” Nevertheless, Cicadas are good eating and humans could also benefit as they are considered a delicacy. Other wildlife such as snakes and rodents will also see it as feeding time at the zoo and this is the only reason you may experience an increase in pest predator sightings.
What Does That Mean For Pest Control?
The reality is that pesticides will have zero to no effect on the cicadas. Pesticides generally do not work on them and so it would be waste to spray for that particular problem when it will be short-lived. As mentioned before, the problem will be when there are predators looking to feed on them and you may then get a problem with the predators. Therefore, it is important to ensure your pest control is up to date and should you see more rodent type vermin, then call Scouts to remediate that problem. Some local counties that will definitely see some activity will be Abbeville, Edgefield, McCormick and Saluda.
Enjoy the Phenomenon and See it For The Wonder It Is
When it begins you will know, the signs will be there — from the holes and the sightings to the noise of mating. For those of you who love bugs and nature, you will be able to get close and get the camera’s out and shoot some awesome pics which we hope you will share with us. Other than the predator feeding that could bring more pests toward your home, there's nothing else to fear and more to be in awe with nature.