April 20 – HIGH POINT – The annual arrival of cicadas in the High Point area later this spring and summer could add another layer to the loud buzzing sounds that echo as the insects emerge to breed.
In addition to the annual Dog Day cicadas, the area welcomes a variety of periodical cicadas that appear once every thirteen years, although Guilford County will not experience as large an influx as other parts of the state or country.
The two species of crickets are different, says Taylor Jones, an extension officer for the Guilford County NC Cooperative Extension office.
The one-year-old crickets are green with clear wings, while the 13-year-old crickets have a black body, red eyes and orange veins on their wings.
“They’re very interesting in terms of their coloration – it almost looks alien,” Jones said.
Jones told The High Point Enterprise that there is no exact date for the arrival of cicadas because it depends on the climate.
“As it warms up more consistently outside, the crickets will come out,” he said.
The 13-year-old cicadas emerging this spring and summer are known as the “great southern brood,” Jones said. The periodical cicadas will range from Maryland through parts of the South and then into states in the West and Northwest, but Guilford County is out of the way for the largest numbers of this year’s 13-year cicadas. Counties in the east will see more.
“We’ll see more annual cicadas than periodical cicadas,” Jones said.
Both types of crickets will breed and lay eggs. Jones said crickets pose no threat to people or pets because they do not bite or sting and do not carry toxins.
The characteristic buzzing sounds, which are sometimes almost deafening, relate to their mating.
Adult males make a shrill buzzing sound to attract females, according to the Extension Service. Female crickets plant their eggs in hardwood trees, although the eggs do not pose a serious threat to trees.
After six or seven weeks, the eggs hatch, and small, ant-like cicada nymphs fall into the ground to burrow and develop into adults.
While in the ground, the nymphs feed on the roots of many types of trees, according to the Extension Service. Depending on the variety of crickets, adults do not emerge until 17 years after burrowing into the ground.
What about crickets? For more information about crickets or anything outdoors, call the NC Cooperative Extension Guilford County office at 336-641-2400 or email Extension Agent Taylor Jones at tejones5@ncsu.edu { related_content_uuid}7fe6666c-744d-4395-a956-15458871176b{ /related_content_uuid}
pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul
