I know that some people really dislike cicadas, and I get it. They’re big, they’re objectively ugly, they’re loud, and they have a tendency to just run into you without saying sorry.

And their wings stick in your hair.

That said, I kind of love the sound they make. It sounds like summer to me, and I don’t think the season would be feel complete without them.

This summer, though, we’re expecting a pretty big, loud, and extra cicada party to happen for the first time since 1803.

There are annual cicada broods, which emerge every year to mate, lay eggs, and die off. Then there are periodical cicadas that emerge, well, periodically around the eastern and midwestern United States.

There are 15 known broods, and only one typically emerges every year. Most have a 17-year cycle, but a couple emerge every 13 years.

In 2015, two broods emerged at once, but the last time Brood XIII and Brood XIX emerged together was in 1803.

The next time we’ll get two at once will be 2037, and these two will get to catch up again in 2445.

Brood XIII are known as the Northern Illinois brood, and Brood XIX are called the Great Southern Brood. The former is a 17-year cycle brood and the latter 13-year type.

We’ll meet these guys in May or June, depending on how quickly the soil temperature rises and stays warm.

Although it’s not so uncommon for two broods to emerge at once, it is less common for two broods whose territory overlaps emerges at the same time.

If you live in the cicada apocalypse zone, don’t worry. Even if their mating call – which can read 90 decibels – is annoying background noise, they aren’t harmful to humans.

And I mean, it seems wrong to hate on something just because it’s ugly.

So maybe try to sit back and enjoy it. They’ll be gone soon enough.

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