That’s right. Billions. With a “B”.

This is the year Brood X of the periodical cicada will hatch in Indiana (and other states).

This is estimated at 1.5 million per acre.

While the emergence of this insect (Order Hemiptera or True Bug) will occur throughout most of Indiana, the largest hatching should be south of Indianapolis.

This happening depends mostly on soil temperature, so no actual date can be predicted. The ground needs to be around 64 degrees at a depth of eight inches. This can occur from early April to mid-May.

If we have an early spring, the cicadas will soon see daylight after 17 years underground.

Folklore says this will happen when the irises begin to bloom.

Back in 2004, the cicadas laid their eggs in the tip of tree branches about 1/4 to 1/2 in diameter. Spreading them in various locations, the female laid around 400 eggs. Six to 10 weeks later, the eggs hatched, the nymphs dropped to the ground and burrowed down.

They did not hibernate there.

The nymphs continued to feed on sap from tree roots during their 17-year wait to return to daylight.

When their internal alarm clock told them to return to the surface, they emerged, climbed up the nearest tree, and shed their exoskeleton. This is the empty hard shell we often find hanging in various locations.

Because the nymphs need tree roots to feed on while underground, any young cicadas who find themselves in an area with no trees will die and none will be around to emerge.

Even if trees are planted later in this spot, the nymphs will be dead. If trees were present when the nymph dropped to the ground, then later the trees were harvested or died from disease or other causes, again, the cicadas will be dead and not be around to emerge when their time comes.

Periodical cicadas, often wrongfully called locusts, are about an inch and a half to two inches long. They are heavy, thick-bodied, with mostly clear wings that are longer than their bodies.

The body is dark brown or black, and the wing veins are amber-colored.

They have red eyes.

The annual cicada has a much broader body with a green head.

In either variety, it is the males who do the “singing,” if it can be called that.

Some folks find it rather calming to listen to, while others can’t tolerate the noise.

You better get used to it this spring.

The cicadas feed mostly on woody plants.

On the other hand, there are many predators who feed on the cicadas.

Many birds, rodents, reptiles and fish find the immense numbers of these insects an easy meal and feed on them until sated.

The cicada killer wasp finds these large bugs their main prey. They paralyze them with their sting, then drag them back to their burrow to feed to the wasp young.

Some mammals also partake in this huge offering.

Even humans in some parts of the world indulge in the feast, deep-frying the nymphs.

Apparently, this unusual feature of reappearing after 17 years seems to work for this species.

The cicada has been around since the late Triassic or upper Permian period. This is about 200 to 300 million years ago.

With this longevity and billions of the critters appearing at one time, we are certainly lucky they are not harmful to humans.

Rich Creason is an award-winning outdoors and travel writer whose work has appeared in local, regional, national and international publications for 40 years. Born in Anderson, he is a graduate of Markleville High School. He lives in South Madison County with his wife, Susie. He may be contacted at [email protected].