Thousands Of Brood X Cicadas In Mercer, 'War Of The Worlds' Site

PRINCETON, NJ — New Jersey has been invaded by the “Brood X” cicadas. And if you live in certain areas of the Garden State, you can’t miss their distinctive hum (see the videos below).

In the Grovers Mill section of West Windsor, cicadas took over the site of the Martian landing from the sci-fi radio drama, “The War of The Worlds,” reported NJ.com. They've also been spotted in the Princeton, West Windsor and Hillsborough areas and other parts of the state.

Dan Mozgai, who runs the website "Cicada Mania," posted a picture on Twitter of the insects crawling all over the monument dedicated to the 1938 fictional broadcast of an alien invasion of New Jersey.

“Brood X has arrived in Grovers Mill New Jersey. Fabled invasion site of the aliens in Orson Wells’ War of the Worlds,” Mozgai wrote on Twitter.

According to the mobile app, Cicada Safari, thousands of red-eyed insects have emerged from their 17-year-long slumber in Princeton, West Windsor, Hopewell and Hillsborough townships. Read more: Thousands Of Brood X Cicadas Emerge In Hillsborough: Video

Here are some videos showing the "invasion:"

The app is built by scientists at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati and records cicada sightings through photos submitted by users.

Cicadas took over the Princeton Battlefield State Park, Marquand Park and were seen on Updike Farmstead on Quaker Road.

“The 17-year "Brood X" periodical cicadas have emerged in our area and residents spending time outdoors may find it hard to escape the sights and sounds of these unique insects,” the municipality said.

Cicadas were spotted on the Princeton University campus downtown. “Be kind to these harmless creatures and watch your step around campus,” the university told students and visitors in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the organizers of the Princeton Farmers’ Market which takes place every Thursday, told patrons that they’ll be joined by “Brood X” while shopping for produce this week.

The Friends of West Windsor Open Space is currently running a cicada photo contest, inviting ehtusiasts to share their photos of the noisy insects. Contest ends June 12.

Temperatures may play a big role in the bugs emerging earlier in New Jersey, according to Climate Central, an independent organization of scientists and journalists.

According to Climate Central, "Cicadas typically emerge in force when ground temperatures reach approximately 64°F degrees, often after a steady rain. Some places with Brood X cicada concentrations have already reached that temperature threshold. The 10-day average temperature across the Brood X region is running 8 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than at this time in 1970, and 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than in 2004."

The cicadas spend more than a decade underground feeding on tree roots before their synchronized emergence as young adults. The males sing with urgency, trying to mate before they die just three or four weeks later.

Experts say that Brood X, or Great Eastern Brood cicadas, are expected to number in the billions throughout the region.

The cicadas are completely harmless to humans but can produce quite a loud sound once they start singing.

Do you have photos of cicadas in your backyard or around town? You can share them with Patch. Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com. Include location and photo credit.

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