Will Wheeling See Cicadas This Summer?

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.

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.