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An Editorial Opinion of The Lowndes Signal

Some are calling the 2024 cicada emergence a “cicadapocalypse.” And, with insects swarming in unison from Broods 13 and 19, which typically emerge every 17 and 13 years respectively, it is little wonder Google Trends data indicates Alabamians are among citizens in the top five states across the country searching for “Cicada Cooking Recipes.”

While the data does not report numbers of Butler, Lowndes and Crenshaw County residents looking to taste-test cicada dishes, most community members have noticed the strange yet familiar humming in the trees and discovered a higher-than-average number of exoskeletons left behind on trees, walls and outdoor lawn furniture.

In Lapine, we counted no less than 17 of the shells attached to a staff member’s window screen.

Most of us recall memories of summertime excursions to collect the insect shells. In truth, the corners of drawers and closets in our childhood homes may yet harbor remnants of the “treasures,” secreted away by adventuresome youngsters exploring the neighborhood wilderness.

Alabama Cooperative Extension urges parents to introduce children to insects and help them understand by hands-on exploration, that not all are bad, stinging creatures. We wholeheartedly agree. We urge families to explore together and to experience the sights, sounds and wonders of what may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience yielding an abundance of scientific samples to examine.

By visiting cicadamania.com, parents can help children compare the sounds of their own backyard to recordings aimed at helping them identify which brood is singing nearby.

If any families experience difficulty localizing the experience amid the sounds of their town, call our office at (334) 382-3111. We can help you locate a rural area where evidence of cicada emergence is plentiful.