2024 is the year of the cicada. In the coming months, certain states, including Wisconsin, will experience a rare, natural event…the emergence of two separate broods of cicadas. UW Madison extension entomologist PJ Leisch told AM 1170s Between the Lines program the insects that will be found in counties mainly to the south of Fond du Lac and Dodge counties are known as the 17 year Brood XIII cicada. Leisch says while cicadas may be somewhat of a nuisance he doesn’t consider them a pest insect. Liesch says the cicadas are actually good for the environment and provide a food source for wildlife. Otherwise Liesch says cicadas are harmless to humans. The rare double-brood event hasn’t happened for over 200 years. Thomas Jefferson was president, the Louisiana Purchase had just been completed and there were only 17 states in the union.
