By Dan Klepal
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The cicadas aren't coming; the cicadas aren't coming.

At least not yet.

CICADA MANIA

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Sporadic cicada sightings have been reported more than a dozen times last week to Dr. Gene Kritsky, a College of Mount St. Joseph biology professor and world-renowned cicada expert. Kritsky is tracking and studying the emergence of Brood X, the largest of the 17-year periodical cicada generations that are expected to number in the billions across Greater Cincinnati when they emerge in force next month.

But Kritsky said those early sightings are cases of juvenile bugs, known as nymphs, getting washed out of their underground tunnels early. The mass emergence won't happen until next month, when ground temperatures reach 64 degrees. Kritsky monitors ground temperatures at 15 sites around the college, where the average temperature as of Friday was 56.2 degrees.

Kritsky said the nymphs build little mud mounds in their tunnels to keep themselves above water during spring rains.

"Many times they back out of the hole (on accident) and can't find it to get back in," Kritsky said. "But they don't climb a tree or shed their skin to become an adult."