Photo by Evan Noffke
Thirteen year emergence
The 13-year cicadas are deep into their emergence this year. Periodical cicadas are among the longest-lived insects on the planet, living for 13 or 17 years. They spend most of that time living underground, feeding on tree roots. Once the soil warms enough in the spring to be 64 degrees Fahrenheit at 8 inches deep, they begin to emerge, usually around late May or early June. The nymphs typically emerge from the soil in the evening and climb up trees or other objects and molt, leaving behind the familiar cicada shells or shed exoskeleton.