13 Years in the Waiting; Cicadas Emerge in Middle Georgia

The buzzing, sometimes soothing, sometimes annoying sound, has been ringing in the ears of middle Georgians for a few days now. And it won’t be done for another four to six weeks.

The Great Southern Brood Cicada has been hiding under trees, plants, and bushes for the last 13 years, but now has come out to mate, reproduce, and die.

Jeff Burne is a Biology Professor at Macon State College. He says, the sound we are hearing is males, calling to attract a female.

“The reason the noise is so constant, is because they have such a short time,” Burne explained. ” They’re all out now. This is it, this is their only shot. If they miss this, they’re out of luck. So they gotta get busy.”

The red eyes on the black body make these bugs look like they might be demon possessed, but Burne says the noisy critters are harmless.

Once the bugs have mated, the female will lay her eggs underground, and then die. Once the eggs have hatched, the bug will stay underground for 13 years, and then come out to reproduce. And the repetitive cycle runs like clockwork. The cicada never misses its cue to come out of the ground.

Professor Burne says, he doesn’t know what the reason is for these insects to come out so rarely.

“As far as a general explanation, I can’t give you one. Except it’s just another one of those neat examples of nature. Just something pretty cool, because 13 years is a long time.”

If you would like more information about cicadas, click here.