New Jersey Warned of "Apocalyptic Invasion" This Summer

The tri-state is gearing up for a hectic summer season with many visitors as the weather gets warmer.

The incoming invasion isn't tourists flocking to our hot spots. These visitors are actually much louder than our human guests.

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Canva

We're talking cicadias.

According to The Xerces Society:

Cicadas are a type of insect, like bees, butterflies, and beetles (and indeed, most animals). There are over 3,000 species across the world. They have stocky bodies, short antennae, wide-set eyes, and (as adults) two pairs of often transparent wings. They spend the vast majority of their (often long) lives underground, and only emerge for a few weeks at the end of their lives to mate and lay their eggs.

Imagine living decades underground only to "break free" for a few weeks to continue the species. That is dedication.

We may not see cicadas, but we certainly hear them.

Craig Schmidt

The Xerces Society claims that cicadas are the loudest animals on Earth.

Cicadas are said to have a unique built-in instrument called a “tymbal."

Tymbals make a clicking sound, but cicadas make this sound repeatedly so rapidly that what we hear is a constant hum that we've come to associate with the warmer months.

Cicadas feed mainly on the sap from trees, but they also eat tree leaves. It's worth mentioning that cicadas are generally a good thing.

The holes that they burrow into for decades at a time help aerate soil.

JohnCarnemolla

Experts say that if cicadas are wreaking havoc on your trees, it's best to put up a net. Don't use pesticides because they harm other living things more than they are good for and aren't worth it.