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Billions of cicadas expected to descend on US Rust Belt

Mostly those billions of big, clumsy sex-starved bugs that surface along the eastern United States every 17 years have all the musical appeal of a jet taking off. Ron Edmonds/AP Images

If you are planning to visit the U.S. Rust Belt on vacation this spring, you may want think twice.

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That’s because billions of cicadas are expected to descend upon Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, according to the website Cicada Mania.

This will be the first appearance for this particular breed in 17 years. The Magicicada cicadas have been underground since 1999.

While the critters aren’t dangerous, they can be annoying and are expected to arrive in significant numbers.

There are expected to be more than 1.5 million cicadas per acre and they are not the smallest of creatures. Full-grown cicadas are 2.4 to 3.3 cm in length.

WATCH: A different breed emerged in 2013

The little critters will begin to emerge from the ground after the soil reaches a steady 18 degrees Celsius for four consecutive days, according to the Washington Post.

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After that, the cicadas will be creating headaches for local residents as they continue with their constant droning.

The loud humming sound is the male’s mating call as they search for the love. Their partners will lay up to 400 eggs on trees before they die, completing their life cycle.

READ MORE: What’s nutritious and packed with protein? Edible insects

The eggs will hatch 4-6 weeks later and the larvae will burrow into the ground, beginning the round.

Some people are choosing to embrace the rare appearance of the winged creatures rather than avoid it.

In Cleveland, a festival is planned to educate the masses.

“It’s going to be a wild ride,” Wendy Weirich, director of Outdoor Experiences for the Cleveland Metroparks told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “It’s like Rip Van Winkle for insects.”

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