A Bug's Life

A BUG'S LIFE As the cicadas (known as Brood II) invade the region, we provide some fun facts and survival tips to help you navigate through the swarm. The periodical cicadas like this year's brood (Brood II) could emerge in huge numbers-like 1,000,000 PER ACRE. = 10,000 The average residential lot in Columbia is.31 acres, that's 310,000 cicadas. The average residential city lot is .025 acres, that's 25,000 cicadas. 6 WEEKS 2030 #Comingup 2013 will be the first cicada emergence since Facebook and Twitter became popular. So ex- pect your social media to get a lot buggier! Once the ground temperature reaches 640 a swarm of cicadas will After 6 weeks, the eggs hatch and the nymphs drop climb up from the soil. to the ground and burrow into the soil until 2030! 6 WEEKS Female cicadas lay eggs Though cicadas are usually prey for birds like gulls and starlings, they are also about 1 week after they emerge, usually inserting them into tree twigs and branches. After they die, their bodies have a large nutrient impact on the for- ests and streams in the area. EDIBLE FOR HUMANS. Brood II has been underground since 1996, when Alanis Morisette's Jagged Little Pill won "Al- bum of the Year." Recipes have included dumplings, stir fries, 6 WEEKS 1996 and tacos. The cicada song is a mating call males use to attract females. 1 CICADA SONG can be as loud as 90 DECIBELS, or as loud as being right next to a power lawn mower. 17 YEARS 17 YEARS