Just about every year Cicadas start appearing in South Dakota in July or August. They are those big noisy bugs that we hear every summer in the midwest.

But this year is a big year because a wave of cicadas will be descending on parts of the nation by the trillions. Every 17 years all the cicadas that have been tunneling and eating make their way above ground to sprout wings, chow down, and mate.

This Big Bunch of Bugs called Brood X was last seen in 2004. And although the Brood X bugs are already appearing out east they won't be coming to South Dakota. Amanda Bachmann with the South Dakota State University Extension Office says no Brood X cicadas live in our state. Good news.

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But the states that are seeing an influx of the critter are doing some creative things with the pest. For example, the Henry Herald says a Maryland company, called Chouquette Chocolates, is selling chocolate-covered cicadas. The cicadas are air-fried before being dipped in either milk chocolate or dark chocolate. People say the cicadas taste like chocolate-covered potato chips.

How about this...the folks at Snappy Tomato Pizza posted a video with a jingle singing about a delicious Cicada Pizza. They do point out that the intent of the snappy tune is to just have some fun and create a "buzz". They don't actually put any Cicadas on their pies.

Veterinarians are warning pet owners to keep their cats and dogs away from cicadas. Dogs shouldn't eat cicadas because their exoskeleton is extremely hard to digest. Ohio State University Professor Joe Boggs compares eating a cicada to eating a Twinkie with the wrapper on.

Cicadas 2021

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