Published 10:57 IST, May 24th 2020
Millions of Cicadas now expected to surface in US after 17 years underground
Millions of 17-year cicadas will emerge from the ground this year. People in Southwest Virginia, parts of North Carolina and West Virginia could witness them
- World News
- 2 min read
Soon after the giant hornets threatened to invade the United States creating headlines, another insect swarm is on its way to the country. As per reports, millions of 'cicadas' will emerge this year after '17-years underground'. While cicadas are harmless to humans directly, their negative effects are likely to include and go beyond the noise they make which is a well-documented nuisance.
As many as 1.5 million cicadas per acre may emerge, and people living in Southwest Virginia, parts of North Carolina and West Virginia could witness this unique phenomenon, Virginia Tech said in a news release.
Communities and farms with large numbers of cicadas emerging at once may have a substantial noise issue, said Eric Day, Virginia Cooperative Extension entomologist in Virginia Tech's Department of Entomology.
Cicadas, which are large insects, are known to occur periodically. However, the upcoming swarm is notable even among their species for the long time period among cycles, seemingly on account of keeping their emergence out of sync with the predator cycle. Whether or not they impact humans directly, they are certain to be a dirge on crop plantations.
Hornet found in Washington state
A few weeks ago one of the world's largest hornets, a 2-incher dubbed the "Murder Hornet", with an appetite for honey bees, threatened to invade Washington state in huge numbers. While entomologists have made plans to wipe them out, the giant Asian insects, with a sting that could be fatal to some humans, are just now starting to emerge from their winter hibernation.
The hornet was sighted for the first time in the U.S. last December, when the state Department of Agriculture verified two reports near Blaine, Washington, close to the Canadian border. It also received two probable, but unconfirmed reports from sites in Custer, Washington, south of Blaine.
The hornet can sting through most beekeeper suits, deliver nearly seven times the amount of venom as a honey bee, and sting multiple times, the department said, adding that it ordered special reinforced suits from China. There are also contrasting reports, however, that the invasion could be overblown.
Updated 10:57 IST, May 24th 2020