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What You Need to Know about Periodical Cicadas

An inescapable screeching sound coming from nearly every nearby tree and local forest. Winged insects clinging to unsuspecting people—or colliding with them, as the big bugs haphazardly fly around. If these scenarios trigger a memory, you may live in a region of the United States that is home to periodical cicadas. The sudden appearance of millions of screaming, red-eyed insects is not something that is easily forgotten.

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Articles of Interest

Bug appétit: Why eating cicadas is good for the environment

Jessica Fanzo, an expert in food policy and ethics, discusses the environmental and health benefits of eating insects, including cicadas.

Can You Eat Cicadas? Yes, and Here’s How to Catch, Clean, and Cook Them

Known for their deafening mating calls, which can be as loud as lawnmowers, cicadas emerge after more than a decade underground, offering a tasty meal to birds—and even the occasional human. That’s right, cicadas, like many insects, have been hailed as an eco-friendly and high-protein alternative to poultry and cattle. They’re low in cholesterol, crunchy, and carry what has been described as a nutty flavor and shrimp-like quality. Restaurants have featured the bugs in experimental menus, while several cookbooks have even been published dedicated to recipes involving cicadas.

Cicada records help scientists study long-term health impact of pesticide exposure

Researchers found that men born during cicada events lived two months less than expected, pointing to the life-long effect of early pesticide exposure.

Cicadas are annoying. But do they bite or sting? Here's what's fact and fiction.

Cicadas do not bite because they don’t have those mouthparts, pest experts previously told the Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network. They instead use a long, straw-like tube to suck the fluids from trees.

Cicadas are nature’s weirdos. They pee stronger than us and an STD can turn them into zombies

These insects are the strongest urinators in the animal kingdom with flows that put humans and elephants to shame. They have pumps in their heads that pull moisture from the roots of trees, allowing them to feed for more than a decade underground. They are rescuers of caterpillars. And they are being ravaged by a sexually transmitted disease that turns them into zombies.

Cicadas: Pet Treat or Pet Threat?

Cicadas are slow-moving, buzzing, and readily available. They do not bite or sting, and they are not toxic to dogs or cats–or people. “In some places, cicadas are consumed by people as a delicacy,” says Dr. Alyssa Baratta-Martin, a veterinarian with the primary care service at the college’s Veterinary Medicine South Clinic. In short, cicadas may seem like a great snack to pets. However, the insects’ exoskeletons can be quite irritating to the digestive tract, possibly leading to increased salivation, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Do cicadas bite or sting?

Technically cicadas don’t bite or sting; they do however pierce and suck. They might try to pierce and suck you, but don’t worry, they aren’t Vampires nor are they malicious or angry — they’re just ignorant and think you’re a tree. Just remove the cicada from your person, and go about your business. Cicadas also have pointy feet, egg-laying parts (ovipositors), and other sharp parts that might feel like a bite. Cicadas don’t have jaws (mandibles) like a wasp, mantis, or ant, built to tear and chew flesh. Cicadas don’t have stingers, like bees and wasps, meant to deploy venom and paralyze or otherwise harm their victim. See a video of a Japanese hornet to see what I mean.

Noise Myths Debunked – Fact and Fiction Behind all the Cicada Buzz

While we are glad the cicada invasion has raised awareness of the hazards of excessive noise exposure, we thought we should take this opportunity to set the record straight and address a common myth about noise exposure and noise-induced hearing loss.

People are eating cicadas for the protein benefits — but there are health risks to cicada cookies, cocktails, and pizzas

With trillions of cicadas flying around, some people have decided to eat the insects. Cicadas are rich in protein, and eating them is better for the environment compared to factory farming.

Preparing people who are sound-sensitive for noisy cicadas

The rare emergence of overlapping 13- and 17-year cicada broods in the Midwest and southern U.S. this spring is expected to produce continuous cicada buzzing and singing sounds that can overwhelm individuals with sensory sensitivities ­– including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the authors said.

Science, art and culture: Cicadas impact our lives more than just once every 17 years

These periodic swarms of cicadas can disrupt or enliven everyday life for humans and are a critical event for researchers to better understand everything from climate change to disaster preparedness to our cultural history.

The cicadas are here: How's your appetite?

Insects provide a low-cost source of calories and protein — but for some people eating cicadas may be risky.

Yes, Cicadas are Safe to Eat — and They’re Actually Tastier than Other Bugs

Periodical cicadas are about to emerge, and anthropology expert Cortni Borgerson explains how you can harvest and cook them.