The cicadas have arrived.
The noisy insects known as Brood X are starting to appear in parts of Delaware.
USA TODAY reported cicadas would emerge when soil temperatures reached 64 degrees and they would likely arrive in late-April or early May. Now, New Castle County is starting to see them emerge.
Delawareans are sharing their cicada sightings on social media. The Delaware Center for Horticulture shared photos of a mass of cicadas found in Newark.
And Andree Galindo, a Newark resident, has shared photos of the cicadas and their shells she has found in her yard and in her trees.
But these photos only show a small number of what people should expect to see during the next couple of weeks.
As people begin to see these periodic cicadas pop up in their backyards, here what Delawareans should know about them.
What are Brood X cicadas?
This group of periodical cicadas, called Brood X, emerge every 17 years, spending their time underground feeding on sap from the roots of plants.
The cicadas will lay their eggs which will hatch four to six weeks later. Then their offspring will repeat the cycle and head back underground until they emerge 17 from now.
Brian Kunkel, ornamentals integrated pest management extension specialist at the University of Delaware, said the Brood X is one of the largest broods of cicadas and has a wide geographic range, reaching the District of Columbia and 15 states, including: Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New…
