"Around May 20, Brood 10 of the periodical cicada will emerge across the eastern two-thirds of the Commonwealth," said Wolff. "In areas of heavy emergence, the total weight of cicadas have been as high as 1.5 tons per acre, making it the largest of all the broods."
Cicadas in this brood entered the soil as tiny nymphs back in 1987 and have since resided underground, sucking away at tree and shrub roots.
Beginning in late May, the mature nymphs will tunnel to the surface and re-surface as a group. Once above ground, these nymphs will shed their nymphal skin, appearing as pale red-eyed adults. Within hours, they will unfold their wings and their bodies will harden, turning a dark brown. The males will "sing" constantly during daylight hours. The female cicadas will insert their eggs in small tree branches, usually killing the tree branch beyond that point. Birds, fish and other predators will actually eat the endless supply of adult cicadas. Once the mating and egg laying, which usually takes two to three weeks, is complete, the mature cicadas will die, while the larvae will tunnel back into the ground for the next 17 years.
"While cicadas are not harmful to humans or animals, be prepared to protect your valuable plants, either with some sort of physical barrier such as netting or with chemical insecticides. Be ready to deal with the invasion of millions of large, noisy -- yet fascinating - -critters. Having some ear plugs handy might not be a bad idea, either," said PDA Entomologist Jim Stimmel.
For information about cicadas including a list of commonly asked questions, visit the website at http://www. agriculture.state.pa.us (click on Cicadas).