Cicada Maniac
Mike Raupp
Professor of Entomology
Monday, April 19, 2004; 1:00 p.m ET
This May, the planet's largest brood of cicadas will emerge from a 17-year nap to descend on the East Coast, sucking the sap out of trees, mating and shedding their skins before dying, hopeful that the next generation of larvae will rise again 17 years hence. In an article in this weekend's Sunday Source, Bug Guy, entomologist Mike Raupp, shares the awful truth: Washington, D.C. is the epicenter of the coming onslaught -- with anywhere from 100,000 to 1.5 million cicadas per acre.
Raupp, professor of entomology at the University of Maryland and self-professed "cicadamaniac," will be online Monday, April 19 at 1 p.m. ET, to discuss the return of the brood, his work at the University of Maryland and what to expect.
Submit your questions and comments before or during today's discussion.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Sterling, Va.:
If there are tons of cicadas out are they going to cancel school?
Mike Raupp:
No, they should not cancel school. The cicadas are harmless and this will be an unprecedented chance for kids to see nature “up close and personal”. I hope that science teachers have already added this special event to their lesson plans.
_______________________
College Park, Md.:
My family homeschools, and our oldest is six-and-a-half years old. What opportunities does this brood of cicadas present that we really don't want to miss?
Mike Raupp: Go out today to a location where there are several large old trees, maybe oaks or maples. Look beneath the trees for round holes about the size of dimes. When you have found these, you are in the cicada patch! Go there often, look down the holes, and get ready for the big event coming soon to a neighborhood near you, sometime in the next few weeks.
_______________________
Lanham, Md.:
How likely or unlikely is it for a cicada to bite a human? I ask this, because my mother suffered a cicada bite in the last cycle of cicadas (17 years ago), and to this day has a v-shaped bite scar on the calf of her right leg. Is this a common occurrence for the cicadas or an aberration? Should I be concerned about this?
Mike Raupp: I have never heard of a cicada bite. In fact, they lack biting mouthparts! Their mouthparts have evolved to be much more like a soda straw and they use these for sipping plant sap. They cannot bite people. I do not deny your story but it is more likely that another insect caused this injury. My guess is that this was indeed a rare aberration for which I can offer no further explanation .
_______________________
Germantown, Md.:
I asked this question earlier. I have buzzing/flying bug phobia, can you tell me when will they be emerging exactly, or the earliest date so that I can schedule a vacation out of the area? Much Thanks
Mike Raupp: Only they know the exact emergence date and it will vary with local conditions of soil temperature. Hence, geographic location and exposure will be important. The earliest record I could find was April 19’Th in PG county in 1953. We expect emergence to be commonplace during the first half of May with large emergences by May 20. Good luck!
_______________________
Arlington, Va.:
I've heard these things come out when the soil hits a certain temperature -- is that true? If so, will an unseasonably warm April mean an early arrival for these guys?
My wife and I planted a few plants this weekend and found cicadas in about half the holes we dug. Ick!
Mike Raupp: It is true that their emergence correlates with increasing soil temperatures. From what I’ve read, the soil temperature, not the air temperature, must be in the middle 60’s for emergence to occur. If it stays very, very warm, they could be early but don't forget how cold it was just one week ago. Soooo, we still have some time left to get ready for the celebration. Ick! I don’t know about that. Did you see how cute their little red eyes where? Did you notice how nicely they have aerated your soil with their tunnels, letting in water, air, and nutrients? All for free! You can tell I’m a fan.
_______________________
Alexandria, Va.:
Seems like this will be a great time to be a dog -- snack time every time you go outside! Should I worry about my dog ingesting these things?
Mike Raupp: Wow, this is a good idea. Cut way back on the doggy food bills. I like it. Try not to worry too much. Some dogs will eat these with reckless abandon. My little terrier didn’t care a hoot last time. Cicadas, like many insects are high in protein and several nutrients, so they will be nutritious. I have read one report that indicates that too many may cause Fido to get a little “bound up” shall we say. I cannot confirm or infirm this notion never having witnessed it myself. It seems the skins are hard to digest. I guess I would let them sample but not get carried away. You know how dogs are.
_______________________
Bowie, Md.:
My daughter, who is 8 years old and in third grade, would like to do a science project relating to the 17-year cicadas. Can you suggest any science activities that we can do with her to help her to understand what is happening (perhaps witness them emerging?) Can you tell us about a good location in Maryland or in the greater Washington area as well as pinpoint the time to experience the cicadas? Thanks. she will be eagerly listening to your reply!
Mike Raupp: Hi, great question and I love that fact that you are taking this rare opportunity to educate your children about nature. To learn about several activities to do with your children, visit our web site at www.entm.umd.edu, click on the cicada, and open the publication called information for teachers and children. Don't worry about finding sites, they are in many places including Bowie. Find a place with lots of big old trees and look on the ground beneath for dime sized holes. Nymphs are in the holes and adults will be common in the trees from the first half of May until the end of June. Have fun!
_______________________
Silver Spring, Md.:
Do you plan on eating any of the little guys? Just wondering...
Mike Raupp: We have eaten several batches of nymphs already. They are wicked good in some recipes but in others, well, they just taste like bugs. We are really waiting for the adults so we can eat some nice soft-shelled cicadas. If you would like to try some yourself, go to our website at www.urhome.umd.edu/newsdesk/scitech/cicadas and get find our Cicada Licious recipe book. Thanks for asking.
_______________________
Arlington, Va.:
Have scientists ever attempted to raise cicadas in the lab "out of season?" Can they be induced to live and reproduce without the long hibernation?
Mike Raupp: Great question. They really don’t hibernate. They actually feed and develop underground for 16 + years. There has been one study where I believe that their development was advanced by altering their environmental conditions. Accelerating the life cycle by four years is one of the mechanisms that has been suggested for the evolution of new cicada broods. We can speed up or slow down their development by a few weeks in the laboratory by warming or cooling them. In fact we are speeding some up right now so we can see the adults sooner!
_______________________
Virginia Beach, Va.:
What are their natural predators? I know from reading this that they eat sap, so no prey right?
Mike Raupp: Their natural predators include several kinds of birds, foxes, squirrels, skunks, reptiles including snakes and turtles, and some arthropods including spiders and ground beetles. Tough life. They only suck plant sap called xylem with their straw-like mouthparts.
_______________________
Silver Spring, Md.:
Nervous bride here -- once the cicadas surface, how long will they fly around. We have an outdoor ceremony. Yikes!
Mike Raupp: They will begin flying in mid-May and should be gone by early July. Good luck.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.:
Are Cicadas blind?
Mike Raupp: No, They have great sight and wonderful red eyes.
_______________________
Falls Church, Va.:
Why is the cycle only every 17 years? Do they hibernate that long, Why don't some have a 15, or Thirteen year cycle?
Mike Raupp: No predator can wait 17 years for its prey and when they do emerge, the numbers are so great that no predator can consume them all. The prime numbers likely help members of the same species emerge synchronously to overwhelm predators and hook up with mates of the same species.
_______________________
Rockville, Md.:
Other than the novelty factor, why exactly do
cicadas exist? I can't think of a predator that waits
17 years just to eat them.
Mike Raupp: Wow, you hit the nail on the head. No predator can wait this long and this is part of their survival strategy. Why do they exist? Hmmm.... this is a pretty deep one. Why do any of us exist? I guess because like us they have evolved a very clever strategy that has enabled them to survive on this rock for millions of years.
_______________________
La Plata, Md.:
I read an article in a local newspaper that La Plata and other parts of Southern Maryland may be spared a visit from the cicadas. Can you confirm if this is correct?
Mike Raupp: Yes, on much of the Eastern Shore and in parts of Southern Maryland, Brood X cicadas do not occur. What a shame.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.:
I admit it: I have a bad attitude about this coming cicada emergence. I am not looking forward to it -- I just want to survive it. Realistically, how bad is it going to be, say in an older suburb slightly outside the Beltway in Maryland, with a lot of trees?
Mike Raupp: I don't think it will be that bad. This does not mean that it won't happen. In some places there will be large numbers of cicadas, especially where there are many old trees. Try to learn about them and if you can, relax, or get out of town for a few weeks.
_______________________
Vienna, Va.:
I've got my electrified tennis racquet so I can swat at them and the bee keeper suit (so I can get from the house to my car) is on order but is there anything I can do to kill these vermin en masse?
And don't bother telling me they don't bite. My five-year-old cries if there is a fly near her. PLEASE, just tell me how to kill them.
Thanks!
P.S. Will my mosquito magnet work on them?
Mike Raupp: Yikes! This will be tough. Try not to hurt yourself or others with your gear and weapons. There is nothing that you can do to kill these en masse. Your mosquito magnet will have no effect on these. Maybe pack up the five year old and head out of town or help him to understand that these cannot harm people or pets. Good luck!
_______________________
Silver Spring, Md.:
Do cicadas eat other bugs? Will bug sprays to kill other bugs kill cicadas? If I have to choose between ant spray (which might kill cicadas) and leaving cicadas to eat the ants, which should I pick?
Mike Raupp: They do not eat other bugs. They only suck plant sap. Bug sprays are largely ineffectual and you would have to be spraying your brains out every day for a month in a largely futile effort. Doesn't sound like fun to me. I would go with the ants but birds and other predators will be thanking you big time for not spraying. Good luck.
_______________________
Ann Arbor, Mich.:
How do they count the 17 years?
Mike Raupp: Great question. I have seen one study that indicates that they tap into the tree roots and measure fluxes of nutrients and plant chemicals.
_______________________
Rockville, Md.:
Hello Mike. I am a private pilot based in
Gaithersburg, and have been wondering what
effects, if any, the cicadas will have on flying in the
D.C. area. I was a teenager in the New York City area when
the cicadas last emerged in 1987, and remember
the ground being covered with them, their bodies
crunching under my shoes like fallen leaves as I
walked to school. I am wondering, do they fly in
swarms that might create a hazard for pilots taking
off or landing, or can I just expect extra large
splats of bug goo on my windscreen? What
animals eat cicadas -- can we expect more birds
on the airport grounds, looking for a big meal?
Also, are their bodies slippery -- if you drive/roll
over them, can you slip on them? Thanks!
Mike Raupp: Hopefully, most of your flight will be well above their activities in the treetops and your landing area will be far enough away from a forest edge to create a problem. I believe that the most you will see will be a big splat on a rare occasion. Beneath trees, there will be large numbers on sidewalks and patios. I don’t believe they will be too slippery, probably more crunchy.
_______________________
Arlington, Va.:
What role do cicadas play in the ecological continuum? Are they beneficial in any way at all?
Mike Raupp: They are very important members of food webs. Great food source for many birds, mammals, and reptiles. Great question.
_______________________
Automatically Update Page
Get New Responses
Submit Question
| 
