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Cicada invasion in South Carolina turns out to be noisy ordeal and the locals are getting impatient; here’s why
South Carolina is now gripped by a cicada invasion. A rare double brood emerged out of nowhere, prompting residents to call the police over deafening noise.
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Rare convergence of Brood XIII and Brood XIX cicadas in South Carolina
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Entomologist predicts cicada emergence across southern states
This spring, residents of South Carolina are being subjected to a never-ending ringing in their ears as the much-anticipated cicada apocalypse arrives with a double brood. The noise has gotten so bad that people have called the police asking for relief.
The hum and the chorus
In Newberry County, the sound is like a constant siren going off, a continuous whine, or an everlasting roar, described by some as similar to tinnitus. Perplexed citizens turned to law enforcement, seeking answers about what was happening outside their doors.
Sheriff Lee Foster of Newberry County said his office fielded many calls about the sound. He said people were curious and did not know who else to call; deputies saw what was happening in different areas and reached out to other agencies for clarification.
“People were calling us,” Foster said. “We didn’t mind telling them what was going on.”
It’s all coming from one source—cicadas, a superfamily of insects that spend 13 to 17 years underground before emerging into the open air. These particular bugs have concluded their subterranean stay and are now making themselves known above ground while they move around foliage and belt out songs of love.
Officials emphasized that these buzzing creatures do not pose any danger to humans or pets.
Broods XIII and XIX
This year marks an event dating back 221 years, as two different broods, Brood XIII and Brood XIX, are coming up at once. According to a map created by Gene Kritsky, dean of behavioral and natural sciences at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, the two groups will occur side by side across several counties in the Midlands and Upstate.
Kritsky, a leading entomologist studying periodical cicadas, predicts that these red-eyed critters could emerge anytime across states including Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
He said the soil temperature needs to hit 64 degrees Fahrenheit for them to emerge from the ground, which is why they’re starting to appear in South Carolina. When it gets warmer, more will rise over two weeks in an area before the crescendo moves north.
Ecological importance
Although overwhelming, the symphony signals a natural event with profound ecological implications. Even as they sing, the insects are part of a web. Residents should take note that the smallest creatures have an intricate rhythm in nature that cannot be ignored by those who live here with them.
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