INDIANAPOLIS — It may seem like this brood of the 17-year cicadas has been buzzing non-stop for months, but we're actually just approaching one full month since the first cicadas were spotted in Central Indiana in late May.
You can blame the males when it comes to all that noise — the females focus on laying 400-600 eggs, and don't make any sound at all.
There's some good news when it comes to your noisy neighbors. According to Purdue University Extension Entomologist Clifford Sadof, the adult cicadas only live about one month. So, if everything goes according to schedule, the sound of the cicada concert should really begin to drop off over the next week and a half.
As for all of those eggs that have been laid over the last several weeks, Sadof says it takes them about six weeks to hatch. At that point, they drop to the ground, dig into the soil and feed on the sap from tree roots only to emerge in another 17 years.
Don't be surprised if you hear cicadas again before the year 2038. While that's when this brood will re-emerge across most of Indiana, a few other broods may pop up between 2023-2028. However, these groups aren't widespread across Indiana, and are most likely across the southern part of the state.
