With “Cicada-geddon” just a few weeks away, people are preparing for the impending invasion while also researching ways to keep the pests away.
For many Chicagoans who rarely hear jets overhead unless they live near Midway or O’Hare airports, a change is on the way. This year, the city will receive a rare double dose of cicadas, whose booming song surpasses the roar of jet engines.
Robi Smith, of R.B. Pest Solutions, who is used to tracking vermin in Chicago alleys, is now preparing to count the cacophony of cicada sounds as they emerge from the ground this spring.
These periodic cicadas usually emerge from their underground hideouts when the ground temperature exceeds 64 degrees Fahrenheit, which is happening earlier than usual owing to climate change.
Unlike locusts, which feed on plants, periodical cicadas prefer tiny branches. While most trees are unharmed, Smith urges attentive lawn maintenance.
“Make sure that landscaping and our shrubs are cut as low as possible, because that’s the perfect way to detect if they’re there,” Smith said.
Insecticide use is not recommended because cicadas serve as a food source for wildlife, including family pets.
Given their short lifespan, cicadas are predicted to return in 2037.