By Jack Spaulding

It’s going be loud, and in some places really loud, but remain calm. The coming fascinating phenomenon of emerging cicadas is normal. Even though cicadas look gruesome, will be loud and plentiful, and can damage some young trees, they are essentially harmless to humans.

Currently, there are 12 different broods of 17-year periodical cicadas consisting of three different species. Each brood is designated by a Roman numeral. This is the year of Brood X. Brood X covers 15 states. Indiana is also home to two annual cicada species that emerge May through August and peak in July.

Brood X nymphs will emerge when the soil temperatures about 8 inches underground reach 65 degrees. A warm rain will often precede large-scale emergence.

“It’s thought that by emerging in such large numbers, they overwhelm would-be predators to ensure that enough of them will live long enough to reproduce and perpetuate the brood,” said Megan Abraham, director of the DNR Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology.

Male cicadas make the noise most often associated with cicadas by using a special organ called a tymbal. The purpose of the large choruses you hear is to attract females.

While cicadas can damage smaller-diameter branches of many species of trees and shrubs, treatment is not warranted in most cases. If you have a small number of newly planted trees, they can be protected by covering them with netting. More information is available online at: https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-47/E-47.html.

You can help with research and become a citizen scientist reporting cicada emergence by downloading “Cicada Safari” on your mobile device.

With the Brood X emergence, you will eventually see cicada killer wasps, 2-inch-long predators of cicadas. Sphecius speciosus, often simply referred to as the cicada killer or the cicada hawk, is a large digger wasp species. Like their scary-looking and loud prey, the beastly looking winged creatures are nothing to be alarmed about, despite their horror-movie looks.

Some people may warn you, particularly on social media, the large wasps are murder hornets, the large hornets appearing up on the Northwest Coast last summer. They’re not. Because of climate differences, there is little chance of murder hornets surviving in Indiana or anywhere near the Hoosier state.

“They (murder hornets) also don’t have the ability to get here, to our knowledge,” Abraham said.

Cicada killers attack cicadas in mid-air and use their massive, strong stingers to penetrate their victim’s shell. Once stung, the prey is paralyzed, jetted back to the nest, buried and eaten by the cicada killer’s offspring grub. Sometimes called cicada hawks, cicada killers are here every year. “Once their prey disappears, so will the cicada killers,” Abraham said. “That will likely be early fall.”

Cicada killers nest in the ground by burrowing up to 20 inches below the surface. As they dig their nests, they kick up dirt, which you may see at their nest openings.

Because cicada killers live in the ground, watch where you step. Avoid signs of nests. If you step on a cicada killer while barefoot, you will likely get stung on the foot. And, if you step near a nest and disturb its resident, you could get stung elsewhere.

Avoiding cicada killers should be relatively easy because of their size and the tell-tale clues of nest location. If you get stung, treat it as you would any other sting from a bee or wasp.

Veterans-only writing workshops

A series of veterans-only writing workshops collectively called “Writing in Peace” is being held at Turkey Run State Park in partnership with The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library (KVML).

The workshops are led by award-winning writer Bonnie Maurer at Turkey Run Inn every month through October. The workshops are free and can host up to 20 veterans per month. Attendees will need to provide their own transportation and food.

The program is open only to military veterans. Sign up by emailing info@vonnegutlibrary.org, indicating which date/dates you would like to attend. Dates and more detailed information are available at vonnegutlibrary.org/arts-in-the-park-veterans-workshop.

Author Kurt Vonnegut was the cousin of Richard Lieber, who is recognized as the father of the Indiana State Parks system. Participants will learn about the state parks and write creatively in a natural setting.

KVML is interested in helping veterans move on from their military experience to discover what future career or creative experience will help, as Vonnegut would say, “… make your soul grow.”

The standard park entrance fees of $7 per in-state vehicle and $9 per out-of-state vehicle apply. Turkey Run State Park (on.IN.gov/turkeyrun) is located at 8121 East Park Rd. Marshall, 47859.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication, or e-mail to jackspaulding@hughes.net. Spaulding’s books, “The Best of Spaulding Outdoors,” and his latest, “The Coon Hunter And The Kid.” are available from Amazon.com.