Cicadas Are Back Buzzing Through The Connecticut Summer Air

That long stretch of 90-95 degree heat and high humidity that Connecticut saw at the beginning of August has proven to be the alarm clock for a rare visitor, the cicadas are out of the ground and buzzing in those trees all around you.

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At first you may think that one of your neighbors is out with a weed-whacker of a tiny chainsaw, but that familiar buzz is most likely coming from an annual cicada. According to ct.gov, cicadas are common in Connecticut and all of New England. They average an inch to an inch and a half in length, and they have crawled out of the ground over the past few weeks leaving small mud tubes in the ground. If you look up into the trees to where the buzzing is coming from, you may see a cicada exoskeleton abandoned on a branch.

Cicadas are Harmless to Humans, Unless You're Trying to Sleep

Cicadas were much more common where I grew up in Oklahoma, the noise that a full emerging brood can put out into the still Summer air was deafening. We used to catch them as kids, they're very slow moving, and they do not bite or sting. Fun fact: They will emit their signature buzz if you press down or lightly squeeze them, we used to chase around the squeamish kids with them.

You may remember a couple of years ago when a giant cicada brood emergence happened in the Midwest, where millions emerged at the same time, this is not that size of an event, but according to ct.gov, Connecticut may see a mega-cicada-event in 2030.