Depending upon where you live, you may have already been inundated with these loud, buzzing insects. Cicadas are back, 17 years later. Brood X is the largest of the 17-year cicada broods and these red-eyed marvels have started to besiege the East Coast. From Tennessee to New York, you can find their shells attached to older trees or hear their drone-like buzz when outside. Once the ground has reached 64 degrees Fahrenheit, cicadas emerged from their underground burrows, and will now be sticking around for four to six weeks.
When it comes to cicadas and your pets, your dog may find cicadas hard to resist. However, there is no need to worry if your dog has been crunching on cicadas. Cicadas are NOT toxic to dogs, though too many cicadas can cause an upset stomach or vomiting. If the vomiting continues, contact your veterinarian. While the cicadas are still here, try walking your dog at dawn or dusk when cicadas are least active. Avoid dog parks or trails that contain a lot of older trees where you will find more cicadas. Watch your dog while they are outside so you can limit their intake.
Although a nuisance to some, the emergence of the 17-year cicadas does pose positive impacts on our environment, such as a growth in predatorily birds. So, those gross winged creatures are a harmless helper to the metropolitan areas even if they drive our pups wild in the process. When you hear their song this summer, remember these creatures are a scientific phenomenon and you may not witness something quite like this ever again
Say hello to Brood X, and goodbye to a quiet walk for the time being.