Cicada Madness: Illinoisans find unique ways to cope with their emergence
CHICAGO — As hot weather and warmer soil temperatures usher in cicadas across Chicagoland, locals are finding different ways to manage them.
While some locals have yet to experience the so-called ‘cicada-geddon,’ River Grove resident Deandra Tomeczko says their emergence hasn’t been too bad.
“Less than expected but I’m OK with it,” she told WGN News.
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Tomeczko is among the pockets of Chicagoland residents who have yet to see the rare and nearly simultaneous emergence of two massive Cicada broods in Illinois. Experts say a complicated mix of conditions, like heavy mulch, thick, grassy areas, or pockets of shade, in addition to old-growth trees, continues to affect soil temperatures and the emergence of these creepy, crawly bugs.
Andre Copeland with the Brookfield Zoo Chicago says the cicada emergence is just beginning.
“We’re going to see take place up through July,” he said. “When you get closer to the border of Northwest Indiana, people aren’t seeing the cicadas as of yet. These two broods are going to start emerging in the western suburbs first.”
Some people are already prepared.
A resourceful letter carrier in south-suburban Homewood donned a beekeeper’s suit to cope with the cicadas. But when life gives you lemons, or in this case, a lot of bugs, people in Lombard are just drinking it up.
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“Who knew cicada alerts would get that bigger reaction,” said Marc Toulquist with Noon Whistle Brewing, riding the Cicada wave.
“All day yesterday was phone calls, people literally coming in physically to check and see if cicada Mal?rt was real and it is,” Toulquist laughed.
The intense fruity flavor is an acquired taste at $5 a shot.
But the crunchy treat is much tastier for the furry residents at Brookfield Chicago Zoo, where the protein-rich insects, with amino acids and other energy sources, offer animals a once-in-a-220-year treat.
But for those tempted to munch on a cicada for themselves, experts say to boil the crunchy critters to eliminate bacteria, and anyone with seafood or shellfish allergies should avoid the experience altogether.
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The emergence of billions of buzzing, clicking cicadas is underway. In northern Illinois, we’re seeing the Brood XIII of periodical cicadas that were born in 2007. Another variety, Brood XIX, is emerging in central and southern parts of the state. Thomas Jefferson was president when the two broods last emerged together in 1803.
WGN has what you should know about cicadas and your home, your kids, your pets, and your garden.
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