Billions of noisy cicadas are emerging across America’s heartland after 17 years of underground slumber, with a red state becoming ground zero for what scientists have dubbed the “Bourbon Brood.”
These red-eyed insects will soon fill the air with a deafening chorus that rivals jet engines, creating what climate alarmists are already trying to link to global warming.
This is despite the fact that this is a perfectly natural cycle that has occurred since long before industrial America.
Kentucky and Tennessee will bear the brunt of this massive emergence as trillions of cicadas surface after their 17-year underground slumber.
The insects, officially known as Brood 14, will also appear across Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and parts of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York, following a schedule that has remained consistent for centuries.
Jonathan Larson, an entomologist who nicknamed this emergence the “Bourbon Brood” due to its Kentucky concentration, explained the connection:
“We’re kind of the epicenter, so it just felt like we could make it Kentucky proud. You have to age bourbon. We put it in barrels in the dark for a long time, so it’s kind of similar.”
Moreover, these cicadas are completely native to America. They spend nearly their entire lives underground before emerging when soil temperatures reach around 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once above ground, they shed their exoskeletons, mate, lay eggs, and die within just a few weeks.
“We will begin seeing this brood of cicadas when the soil warms to the mid-60s, about the same time you start to see iris blooms,” Larson said.
He added, “A lot of people hate them, but I hope they will learn to appreciate them as periodical cicadas are such a rarity.”
The male cicadas produce their distinctive sound to attract females, creating a chorus that can reach an astonishing 100 decibels, as loud as a chainsaw or motorcycle.
While the noise may be an annoyance to some, these insects pose no threat to humans or pets and do not bite or sting.
Their emergence provides a feast for local wildlife, including birds, squirrels, and other animals that benefit from this protein-rich buffet.
Female cicadas lay between 200 and 600 eggs in young tree branches, which can cause some damage to smaller trees.
Experts recommend using netting for protection, with Larson noting, “By using the netting, we won’t be harming these wonderful examples of nature’s pageantry.”
Predictably, climate alarmists are already trying to connect this natural cycle to their favorite boogeyman.
Some researchers claimed climate change could disrupt cicada emergence patterns if early warming triggers premature surfacing.
However, this ignores the fact that these 17-year cycles have continued uninterrupted for centuries through natural warming and cooling periods long before the left’s climate hysteria began.
After the adults complete their brief above-ground life cycle, their offspring will burrow back into the soil, where they will remain for another 17 years, feeding on tree root fluids until 2041.
This remarkable life cycle is uniquely American. It represents one of nature’s most fascinating and predictable phenomena.
