Massachusetts, the cicadas are coming: ‘They can be really loud, as loud as a chainsaw’

Have you missed them Seventeen years after the Brood XIV cicadas last emerged as adults and annoyed people with their loud buzzing calls they re coming back Residents along inner Cape Cod and over the bridge into southeastern Plymouth County should expect the -year periodical red-eye cicadas to surface by late June While the noisy cicadas are harmless to people and don t sting or bite periodical cicadas can be concentrated and very numerous in various spots When that happens their buzzing calls used to attract mates are quite loud When there s a high density of them they can be really loud as loud as a chainsaw reported National Pest Management Association s Jim Fredericks noting that their buzzing can hit decibels He expects that there will be hundreds of thousands of cicadas emerging along the western portion of Cape Cod and into Plymouth County It s really a spectacular sight Fredericks added It s really exciting with lots and lots of cicadas vocalizing at once and searching for mates The cicadas should emerge by late June mate and lay eggs They usually live for about five to six weeks They re above ground for a short time Fredericks mentioned You won t see them anymore by the end of July The cicadas could end up where people don t want them in their yard or garden on their house or bicycle Officers are assuring people that the cicadas will disperse on their own within a limited days and that they should not be killed Their shells might pile up around trees They re not considered a pest species stated Tia Pinney senior naturalist with Mass Audubon It s essential we don t use pesticides on them Pinney added They have a short lifespan and we just have to put up with them and their noise Related Articles Stephen Lynch challenger emerges says he won t accept PAC money Ex-Massachusetts guide busted by feds for allegedly sexually exploiting children Alleged Massachusetts migrant shelter rapist fights bail hike Alleged Massachusetts child sex predators arrested in national effort Sacred responsibility Business confidence drops dramatically over fresh political developments The cicadas also provide abundant high-protein food for a great number of species of birds small mammals and specific reptiles and amphibians When they die in vegetation over water bodies and then drop in the water even fish benefit The Brood XIV cicadas can be discovered from northeast Georgia to southern Ohio in central Pennsylvania on Long Island and on the Cape Millions will emerge across the country The cicadas eggs hatch into nymphs that burrow underground where they feed on roots and take years to grow to full size After this summer you ll have to wait until for the next brood of adults to emerge The Brood XIV population in Massachusetts is restricted to inner Cape Cod and extreme southeastern Plymouth County Scott Olson Getty Images