Cicadas appearing ahead of schedule in 2-state region
LAURENS, S.C. - Residents of South Carolina are beginning to see cicadas ahead of the expected “simultaneous explosion” of two species this spring.
Brood XIX and XIII cicadas will co-emerge this year for the first time since 1803.
But the early arrivers are nothing compared to what we saw in Augusta in 2020. Brood XIX cicadas started emerging a full four years early, and experts turned to local residents to help track them on an app.
Periodical cicadas co-emerge every five or six years, but usually in different areas. Brood XIX and XIII cicadas are adjacent to each other with a slight overlap.
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Eric Benson, an etymologist with Clemson University said: “Not since Thomas Jefferson was president has Brood XIX and Brood XIII emerged in the same year. So, we’re going to have cicadas all through the Southeast, all up and to the Midwest.”
The University of Connecticut says that trillions of cicadas will emerge in the U.S. during this event.
Cicadas do not bite or sting and pose no threat to humans. However, their signature buzzing can reach 90 decibels, and they can damage trees.
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