17-year cicadas to emerge in North Carolina

NORTH CAROLINA (AccuWeather) — Following a 17-year period of underground development, periodical cicadas are set to burst above ground in the coming days and weeks, with three states in particular expected to be hotspots for the bugs to emerge and sing their own song of summer.

Periodical cicadas can appear in 17 or 13-year intervals and cicadas of the same life cycle are classified into different broods. This year’s emergence is classified as Brood IX and the largest quantity of the insects is expected across parts of northwestern North Carolina, southwestern Virginia and southeastern West Virginia.

One of the biggest factors that helps the insects know when it’s time to dart above ground is when soil temperature reaches a comfortable 64 degrees Fahrenheit. The bugs typically arrive in mid-May and can continue to come out through early July. And, while the mid-May cold snap felt across the Midwest, Northeast and mid-Atlantic could delay their full emergence, it likely won’t have a substantial impact on the brood, several experts told AccuWeather.

Michael Skvarla, the director of the insect identification lab at Pennsylvania State University, said in warmer springs, cicadas can accumulate more degree days, which could allow them to arrive on the scene sooner. Conversely, cooler springs allow them to make an appearance later in the year, he said.

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