OVERTON, Texas — The return of spring means the return of insects, including those noisy cicadas.
This year marks a cycle that only repeats every few centuries. Cicadas emerge from the ground every year as the weather warms, but this year scientists are anticipating something a little different.
"It’s not happening every year. Once in a while it happens- like this time it’s happening after 221 years," said Dr. Rafia Khan, entomologist with Texas A&M University.
Khan said the rare double brood of cicadas will emerge soon after spending years underground.
"There are two different types of cicadas, one is an annual cicada and another is the periodical cicada. Annual cicadas - we see them every year, they’re emerging mostly after three to five years but the periodical cicadas spend more time underground – mostly 13 to 17 years. Scientists are expecting about a trillion cicadas will emerge this summer," Khan said.
However, people might not notice much of a difference in East Texas.
"Some of the broods will emerge in Illinois, some of them will emerge in North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi or Oklahoma. And some will emerge as early as late April and some of them may emerge in late June. This won’t all happen at the same time, but this is the time period. And this double brood this year you can expect in some parts of Northern Texas close to the Oklahoma boarder, but most of Texas we will not see this event," Khan said.
Besides a noisy summer, these buzzing insects don’t pose a threat to people.
"They are not harmful for humans, animals or pets and they cannot carry any disease. So they are not a concern for humans or pets. But obviously they can do some damage to small shrubs or mall trees or young plants," Khan said.