Woldumar Nature Center

The answer is here. Cicada nymphs feed off of tree roots! After 6 to 10 weeks the nymphs hatch and fall to the ground where they burrow into the ground to get to the sap in tree roots. Cicadas spend most of their life underground. They can stay in this dormant phase anywhere from 2 - 17 years before they emerge.

There are over 3,000 cicada species that have been split into two groups, annuals and periodicals. Annual cicadas make up most of the group and they emerge at different times throughout the summer while periodicals all emerge together in broods. A group of cicadas can be called a cloud or a plague. The buzzing sound they make is actually the male's mating call!