GALESBURG, Ill. (AP) — Late spring is about to get a whole lot noisier in western Illinois.
University of Illinois Extension entomologist Phil Nixon says that cicada eggs laid 17 years ago are about to hatch.
Nixon told the Galesburg Register-Mail (http://bit.ly/UbzZ2s) that the noisy insects should start emerging this weekend. He says the males will “sing” to attract females for the following two to three weeks.
The 17-year hatch of cicadas should be most noticeable in western Illinois, Missouri and southeastern Iowa.
Nixon says the cicadas bring with them a range of interesting effects. He says, for instance, that fish won’t bite much for a while because they’ll be stuffed with cicadas.
The next 17-year hatch will be in 2031.
(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)