Watch out for cicadas ‘jetting fluids’ this summer

(Gray News) - Yes, a cicada could urinate on you this summer, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

This year, trillions of cicadas will dig their way up from underneath the ground across the South and Midwest when the ground temperature reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the New York Times.

It will mark a once-in-a-lifetime event with the simultaneous emergence of two separate broods in the United States which has not happened since 1803, according to ScienceAlert. The next time the 13-year life cycle and the 17-year life cycle cicadas synchronize will be in 2245.

The large emergence of cicadas means you will want to watch out for something unexpected - jetting cicada urine.

Scientists found that despite their small size, weighing just two grams, cicadas possess the capability for “jetting fluids through remarkably small orifices.”

Scientists expected cicadas to urinate in droplets, like fellow xylem eaters, but instead found that cicadas have a velocity of up to three meters per second, the fastest of all the animals assessed in the report including mammals like elephants and horses.

Because cicadas eat so much xylem, urinating in droplets would be “tiring” for the insects, according to the study.

Cicadas are often found high up in trees, so if you feel something wet land on you on a clear day this summer, it could just be cicada urine.

Georgia Tech researchers were the first to discover the phenomenon and captured it all on video.