In the coming weeks, billions of cicadas will emerge from the ground in search of a mate. It’s expected to be the biggest buzzy brood to emerge since 2004. If you aren’t a fan of these unique insects, then you are in luck! The Ohio Valley experienced the Brood V 17-year cicadas in 2016, so we can expect to be cicada-free this summer. However, you still might spot a few stray cicadas that tend to emerge every couple of years. Brood X will be making their appearance throughout the Midwest and East Coast, so if you want to catch a glimpse of the action you won’t have to travel far.
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Regardless of how you feel about these noisy visitors, cicadas play an important role in the environment. They help aerate the ground when they emerge, their egg-laying helps to naturally prune trees, and when they die their decaying bodies help enrich the soil with nutrients.
While we won’t see a swarm of cicadas in Wheeling this year, check out our latest comic that celebrates this one-of-a-kind creature.
