Are the Cicadas Hatching in New Hampshire?

Editor's note: Exeter Patch recently received an email question asking us if we know anything about the cicadas and whether or not New Hampshire is likely to be impacted by their once-in-every-17-year emergence.

We reached out to a story from our Southampton, NY Patch site, and for those of you who are worried about the plague-like event – which enthusiasts have dubbed the “Cicadapocalyps" – fear not.

The answer is "no."

These bugs are not likely to reach the Granite State.

Within the next few weeks, hordes of insects will awaken from a 17-year slumber, crawl out of the earth, shed their skins, and set most of the East Coast abuzz.

Known as the East Coast II brood, these cicadas will emerge between April and June, across North Carolina and several other states up through Connecticut. When the ground temperature hits 64 degrees Fahrenheit, the bugs will come out, spend roughly one week on the ground molting, and then hit the skies. The result? A 7 kHz buzz will fill the region as the cicadas try to attract mates.

Male cicadas woo their female counterparts with courtship "songs" created by rubbing together a pair of rigid membranes on their bodies, according to magicicada.org. High up on sunny tree branches, only the males can produce sound, which they do, raising near-deafening choruses to attract the silent female cicadas to mate. Luckily, male cicadas' pleas for female companionship are only made during the day, so they should not keep you up at night, says Marten Edwards, a bug expert and blogger for South Whitehall Patch. 

If they behave typically, the cicadas will be around for four to six weeks after first appearing. According to a Southampton Patch blogger, the bugs will bring big appetites—but, contrary to popular belief, they do not have chewing mouth parts and therefore do not usually cause damage to plants.

Click here for tips from that blogger. He also said that this unique brood will have beady, orange eyes, and not black ones.

Have family or friends living in areas likely to be impacted along the East Coast?

WNYC created an interactive map that keeps track of ground temperatures across the region. They've also shared instructions for a do-it-yourself cicada detector, which will allow you to monitor the ground temperature in your backyard.