RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - It may be one of the most talked-about phenomenons in Middle Tennessee... The return of the Cicadas in Mid May... Agriculture Extension Agent Mitchel Mote said the last time we had two Cicada broods return the same year, we had a different President in office...
Agent Mote sheds more light on this fascinating event... After the insects mate and the females lay their eggs, death follows. After that, life of the Cicada won't be seen again for another 13-years in Rutherford County.
Again, Illinois is the closest state for a double emergence of both the 13 and 17-year Cicadas. Middle Tennessee will only see the emergence of the13-year brood, which will happen in mid May. Most of the flying insects, ranging in size of 1 to 2-inches, will die-out by the end of June.
Brood XIX, which will be seen in Rutherford County and surrounding areas of Middle Tennessee, will also emerge in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Virginia. Brood XIII, or the Northern Illinois Brood, can be found in not only Illinois, but also in Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, and possibly Michigan.
- Learn more about the return of the brood XIX in Rutherford County and how may decibels their pesky sound reaches HERE. Hear a full interview with Mitchel Mote HERE.
More Details: While Middle Tennessee, including Rutherford County, anticipates the emergence of a single brood of periodical Cicadas, some regions beyond the state borders are in for a truly remarkable sight. In places like Illinois, a fortunate few—or perhaps unfortunate, depending on one's perspective—will witness not just one, but two broods of these buzzing insects. A very few select parts of Illinois are slated to experience a double emergence, featuring both the 13-year and 17-year Cicadas. Again, only a small percentage will actually witness the double brood timing.
Bottom line... Contrary to speculation, Tennessee won't be witnessing the simultaneous emergence of both Cicada broods - known as the XIX 13-year (1985, 1998, 2011, 2024, 2035...) and the XIII 17-year (1973, 1990, 2007, 2024, 2041...) insects.
The Lane Agri-Park, home to the Farmers Market, is at 315 John Rice Blvd. in Murfreesboro, TN. For more information call 615-898-7710.
