Billions of red-eyed screaming insects coming to the South this spring. How bad in MS?
The cicadas are coming, but have no fear.
The billions expected in other parts of the South, will not be vacationing on the Mississippi Coast.
According to Mississippi State University, 17 counties should expect to see an abundance of the screaming, red-eyed critters. And none of the affected counties are in South Mississippi.
“In the South, we have three broods of 13-year cicadas, each of which occurs in its own geographic area and emerges on its own schedule,” said MSU Extension Entomologist Dr. Blake Layton. “This spring, 13-year cicada Brood XIX, also known as the Great Southern brood, will emerge in parts of 15 states, including at least 17 counties in Mississippi.”
Here are the Mississippi counties that will be affected
- Chickasaw County
- Choctaw County
- Clay County
- Itawamba County
- Jasper County
- Kemper County
- Leake County
- Lee County
- Lowndes County
- Monroe County
- Newton County
- Neshoba County
- Noxubee County
- Oktibeha County
- Pontotoc County
- Scott County
- Winston County
“Mississippi is the only state that has all three broods of 13-year periodic cicadas,” said Layton.
Only one of the three broods, Brood XIX, will emerge this year. The other two broods are expected in 2027 and 2028, with only one brood emerging at a time.
Some cicadas have 17-year periodic cycles, but not in Mississippi. Layton said they are common in northern Illinois and surrounding areas.
This year’s expected “once-in-a-lifetime” experience will see a 13-year brood and a 17-year brood emerge at once.
It’s an “extremely rare, once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Floyd Shockley, an entomologist and the collections manager for the Department of Entomology at the National Museum of Natural History.
The timing of the northern invasion will be late April to early May and the cicadas could stick around until August or September.
Which states will see the invasion?
In addition to northern counties in Mississippi, affected states include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Virginia.
Are cicadas harmful?
Cicadas are quite the nuisance, but they are not harmful to humans, pets, gardens or homes.
In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, cicadas can have some environmental benefits:
Cicadas are a valuable food source for birds and other predators.
Cicadas can aerate lawns and improve water filtration into the ground.
Cicadas add nutrients to the soil as they decompose.
Have more questions? Let me know in the comments or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com
