SWARM ALERT: Cicadapocalypse Nears; Are You Prepared?

At least zombies are fictional.

In the next few weeks, hordes of cicadas will awaken from a 17-year slumber, crawl out of the earth, shed their skins and set the entire East Coast abuzz in an event enthusiasts have dubbed the Cicadapocalypse.

The cicadas make up the The East Coast II brood, which stretches from Georgia to Connecticut. The bugs will emerge when the ground temperature hits 64 degrees Farenheit, spend about a week on the ground before molting one last time, and then hit the skies. The result? A 7 kHz buzz will fill the region as the cicadas try to attract their mates.

According to a Southampton Patch blogger, the bugs will emerge with big appetites too, and locals should take steps to protect their ornamental plants and trees before they become lunch for the hungry cicadas. Click here for tips from our blogger. He also said this unique brood will have beady, orange eyes, and not black ones.

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Nearby, WNYC has created an interactive map that keeps track of the ground temperatures across the East Coast. They've also shared instructions for a do-it-yourself cicada detector, which will allow you to monitor the temps of the ground in your backyards. Let us know if you plan to build one by emailing henry@patch.com.

We'll keep a lookout for when these emerge, but in the meantime let us know how you are preparing. Any shutterbugs out there – excuse the pun – hoping to catch of few photos of these weird-looking bugs?