Buzzing About Cicadas

FAIRFAX, Va. (April 11, 2013) – When it comes to pests, the warmer months are typically known for bringing out the bees, ants and mosquitoes. However, this year’s pest season is kicking off with the return of periodical cicadas. 

These loud, buzzing insects, often confused with locusts, are expected to resurface in the millions after spending 17 years underground. Known as the Brood II cicadas, they last emerged in 1996 and are expected to cause a ruckus from the Carolinas to Connecticut once the weather warms.

Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), told the Washington Post, “It’s an event to remember.”

While cicadas are harmless to humans, Henriksen added they could quickly get on people’s nerves. “You remember the pervasiveness, the skins . . . left behind,” she said. “They’re crunchy. They land on you. People who are fearful of bugs, it will be uncomfortable for them.”