In most years, the buzzing is more like white noise.

This rare event only occurs every 221 years, but not every region with cicadas will experience it.

The farther south you live, the sooner they’ll appear.

cicada on tree

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The Impacted Regions

According to Harlow-Ellis, there two broods of cicadas that will emerge this year.

The first brood are cicadas that were born in 2007, known as the Northern Illinois Brood.

The others were born in 2011 and are the Great Southern Brood.

cicadas swarming

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The answer is not really.

Hodges explains that cicadas normally don’t cause tree damage when they lay their eggs.

However, the process involves creating a small cut in a branch or twig.

Mesh netting

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Actions to Take

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There’s no way tocompletely repel cicadas.

The Bottom Line on Cicadas

Cicadas aren’t harmful to people or established plants, thankfully.

“Remember to enjoy this extraordinary natural event,” he says.

“It only lasts about a month once the cicadas make it to the surface.

These critters provide a fascinating glimpse into one of nature’s unique life cycles.”