By Dan Klepal
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Here are answers to commonly asked cicada questions.

Question: Don't I see and hear cicadas every year?

Answer: Yes. Different species have different life cycles. Some come out in much smaller numbers every year. This year, the largest Brood X will emerge for the first time in 17 years, and number in the billions in Greater Cincinnati. The annual cicadas usually come out in late summer.

Q: Where will they be?

A: All of Kentucky, two-thirds of Indiana and the southwest corner of Ohio will have some of the heaviest concentrations. A small portion of West Virginia, Illinois, Tennessee and southern Michigan, as well as a pocket in the East that includes Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; Maryland; Virginia; Long Island, N.Y.; New Jersey; parts of the Carolinas; and northern Georgia will also host cicadas. Only very small sections of Greater Cincinnati will escape them.

Q: How long do they last?

A: About six weeks.

Q: Do cicadas bite?

A: No, but cicadas have small claws on their legs that can pinch.

Q: Do they fly?

A: Yes, but not very fast and not very far from where they emerge.

Q: What if my pet eats them?

A: No big deal. They are a nutritious treat for insect eaters - and humans, as well.

Q: How can I avoid attracting them?

A: Don't run a lawn mower or chain saw in prime emergence times, when cicadas are flying. That's typically the second through fourth weeks of emergence. Riding lawn mowers, gas-powered weed whackers and gas-powered leaf blowers, in particular, seem to attract cicadas.

Q: There are "letters" on cicadas wings, resembling either a W or P. Some say W signifies there will be war; P means there will be peace. Is this true?

A: No, this is urban legend. Cicada wings do not feature the letter "P." The "W" has nothing to do with armed conflict.

Q: Do cicadas urinate?

A: Nature calls for all of God's creatures. Bug urine, called "honey dew," doesn't stink or stain.

Q: Do cicadas smell after they die?

A: Yes, bug corpses will decay in the heat and begin to smell like ripe Limburger cheese. The odor will last for about two weeks.

Q: Are cicadas locusts?

A: No. Locusts belong to the same insect family as grasshoppers. Locusts are far more destructive.

Q: Will cicadas kill my trees, shrubs and flowers?

A: Cicadas don't kill flowers or shrubs. They do minimal damage to adult trees, but are a benefit to them in the long run by destroying weaker branches and essentially providing a pruning service. Trees less than 2 years old and/or less than 6 feet high, however, are at risk.

Q: How can I protect my young trees?

A: Place netting around the crown and tie it off at the bottom so cicadas can't get into the branches.

Q: We've had cicadas in my neighborhood in the past but not anymore. Why?

A: Pesticides, construction, extreme weather conditions and tree removal could all eliminate cicadas from certain areas.

Q: Do cicadas sing?

A: Yes, it is a love song. Males sing to attract the attention of females.

Q: What does it sound like?

A: The three species of cicadas have unique calls - which vary from a high-pitched hollow whistle to a series of clicks and buzzes to the sound of a rotary sprinkler head - so that only females of their own kind are attracted. Responsive females make a sound by flicking their wings, which is similar to flipping through a deck of cards.

Q: What should I do with the shells the nymphs emerge from?

A: Nothing. They are biodegradable.

Q: I'm planning an outdoor wedding; what can I expect? A: An occasional cicada landing on a guest, and the guest screaming. The constant hum of the cicada love song. An occasional cicada crawling on a chair or table.

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E-mail dklepal@enquirer.com