Cicada's 17 year schedule out of kilter ?

Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

Cicadas, commonly called “locusts” in the United States seem to have a calendar problem.  These amazing Rip Van Winkles of the insect world spend 17 years as nymphs underground, emerge in enormous swarms, mate, and start the process all over again.  The last major “brood” hatched in 2004 and the numbers reached the millions, probably billions.  I can remember seeing the dead insects when I starting doing some research on the subject for a Outdoor Scene story.
Some city dwellers consider the intense hum of cicada wings a nuisance, yet I can remember the first time I heard them and then again two days ago with this early heat wave in New England.
 Some cicada species occur annually and you can often hear their unique wing beat that begins in a pulsating sound, escalated to a crescendo and abruptly ends.  Multiply that sound by a million and you have a roar of wings, a sound in nature like no other.
Unlike the Emerald Ash Beetle that will kill millions of ash trees across the nation and cause billions in lost timber values, Cicadas don’t bite people and they don’t eat the leaves from trees like Gypsy moths that completely defoliate forests.  When cicada die, they fall from their lofty tree perches and litter the ground.  Some report that they make good fish bait, yet the sheer volume of bugs in the water should fill most fish completely.  Since the dead creatures are expired protein, they may make good fertilizer for plants.
The first cicada swarms are just beginning to emerge and only time will tell if this is a true brood hatch or just a small population with an errant alarm clock.
“We don’t know exactly why this happens. All we know is that it does happen,” said University of Maryland entomologist Mike Raupp.

There are numbers of theories, Raupp said, including that it might be associated with climate change: This latest outbreak is expected to grow as temperatures rise throughout the week.

The “periodical” cicadas that are emerging might belong to Brood Six, first documented in the early 1900s. Raupp said they also could be early arrivals of the massive Brood X that’s expected in 2021.

The bloom of cicadas will feed lots in the environment. “They’re going to be a phenomenal nutrient source for many, many different kinds of vertebrates: birds, foxes and skunks,” Raupp said.

Dogs, cats and even some people enjoy eating cicadas that are considered a low-carb, low-fat snack. Don’t worry if your pets eat a few.

“Just don’t let them eat too many,” Raupp warned. “They can cause a few digestive problems.”
Source; Kristi King and Joe Byers