Brood of 17-Year Cicadas May Emerge Soon

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A brood of 17-year cicadas is set to emerge this spring, affecting a small sliver of far western Maryland but mostly Ohio and West Virginia, according to CicadaMania.com.

This is not the brood that affects Maryland most directly, however. That is "Brood X," which last emerged in 2004 and will re-emerge in 2021.

According to the University of Maryland Extension, "adult periodical cicadas live between two and six weeks after
they emerge from the ground."

The adults lay eggs a week or so after emerging, and the eggs take another six weeks to hatch.

The babies, or "nymphs," then burrow into the soil and feed on the sap of tree roots until they follow in their parents' footsteps and come to the surface 17 years later.

This cycle exists because, "by coming out en masse, periodical cicadas are able to avoid or overwhelm enemies," according to the UMD Extension. "No predator can possibly eat that many cicadas, chances of individual reproduction and survival increase."

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