Massive Cicada Invasion Coming To Pittsburgh Area

PITTSBURGH, PA - You might want to buy some earplugs as it's going to be a very noisy May and June in southwestern Pennsylvania. A massive brood of 17-year cicadas is about to emerge all over the region, and they will be to ordinary cicadas what Led Zeppelin is to Kenny G.

Millions - yes, millions - of the periodical Brood VIII cicadas will begin to emerge from the ground right around Mother's Day. They'll be around through June.

What's the difference between these Brood VIII bad boys anthe cicadas you see every year?

Periodical cicadas are can grow to 1.25 inches in length. They have bright red eyes on a black to bluish black body, red legs and red veins snaking through their translucent wings. They're loud. They're creepy.

Annual cicadas, which won't emerge until late June and will be around through August, are about 1.75 inches long and generally green to brownish green. They're creepy too, but in a different way.

According to the Cicada Mania website, the cicadas will begin emerging when the soil eight inches beneath the ground reaches a temperature of 4 degrees. A nice rain will often trigger an emergence.

The following southwestern Pennsylvania counties can expect to see swarms of the periodical cicadas: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Indiana, Lawrence, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland.