🚨🌿 CICADA EMERGENCE 2024 COMING SOON TO ELMHURST 🚨🌿
🚨🌿 CICADA EMERGENCE 2024 COMING SOON TO ELMHURST 🚨🌿
Get ready, Elmhurst… the much-anticipated emergence of periodical cicadas will be here soon. Brood XIII, also known as the Northern Illinois Brood, will surface after 17 years, last seen in 2007, captivating us with one of the largest cicada emergences worldwide. Cicadas emerge annually in various parts of the eastern United States, with cycles repeating every 13 to 17 years. This year holds special significance as two broods are emerging simultaneously, a phenomenon not witnessed in 221 years.
🔍 Here’s the Buzz: Northern Illinois hosts both annual and periodical cicadas. Annual cicadas, aka “dog day cicadas,” show up every year from July to September. Periodical cicadas have longer lifespans, spending 13 or 17 years underground before a brief 20-25 days as adults. They’re smaller than annual cicadas, maturing at 1.5” in length.
👀 What to Expect: Chicago might see up to 1.3 million cicadas per acre in floodplains and 133,000 per acre in upload areas. Late summer may reveal some tree damage from egg-laying, but it’s natural pruning and won’t harm the tree’s health.
🛡️Recommendations: While the City of Elmhurst will not be covering trees due to the large number of small trees on the parkways, residents may do so if they would like. Avoid insecticides on parkway trees as they’re generally ineffective and harmful to beneficial insects. Don’t fret, cicadas don’t bite or harm humans or pets.
🌟 Final Thoughts: Appreciate this rare and natural spectacle—it only lasts a few weeks and occurs sparingly in our lifetime. Though they may be loud, take a moment to observe this extraordinary emergence.
