Ready Or Not. Cicadas Are Here In Maryland

TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) -- As the temperature starts to warm up the 17-year cicadas are really starting to make their presence felt.

Like it or not, the cicadas are here.

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls...it's official. After 17 years, the Brood X cicadas are emerging.

"I've seen them but they're just starting to come out," said Amanda Kastner.

Check out this video Roger Lear sent us from Columbia.

"There are hundreds, literally hundreds of cicadas," Lear says.

The feelings on these winged insects are mixed.

"I don't like them," said Kastner

"I was really freaked out at first," said Shannon Gaston.

With their beady red eyes, that's understandable. Yet the dislike is not a shared feeling amongst everyone.

"Actually really looking forward to seeing what it looks like," said Josh Richardson.

"I'm also kind of excited because I've never experienced this before," said Avery Hamaday.

But those who have experienced them know this is just the beginning. With the ground temperature now hovering around that cicada sweet spot of 64 degrees, more will soon be drawn to the surface.

"I remember having to scrape the guts off my shoes when I got in the car," Kastner said.

"I think they don't scare me too much because they're not really fast moving," Gaston said.

Fast or not they will be plentiful, with as many as 1.5 million cicadas per acre and there's really nothing we can do about it, so sit back, relax and enjoy the music.

They don't bite, they don't sting and we learned last week that they are edible -- when cooked.

If you are seeing the cicadas emerge in your neighborhood, we want to see your photos and video. Tag us in your social media posts, using #BeOnWJZ.

In:
• Maryland
• Brood X