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Michiganders should prepare for Brood X cicadas to emerge in 2021 after 17 years

Posted at 6:50 AM, Jan 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-09 17:56:53-04

(WXYZ) — Cicadas in Michigan have spent the last 17 years underground developing, but they're expected to arrive in Michigan this year.

According to Michigan State University Entomologist Gary Parsons, Brood X is the largest and most widespread brood in the U.S. and is the only brood found in Michigan.

The last time cicadas made the emergence in Michigan was in 2004, which means they're due to emerge once again in 2021.

In a 2004 article from the University of Michigan, the cicadas usually arrive and blanket trees and shrubs in May and June. They usually wait for the sun to arrive and the soil to warm to abound 64 degrees Fahrenheit before coming up from underground.

Cicadas can produce sounds at 100 decibels or more at a distance of one inch, according to U-M.

Their arrival also means a feast for wildlife like fish, birds, squirrels, chipmunks, racoons, foxes and more which feed on the cicadas.