Millions of cicadas are coming. Do they really attract copperhead ...

29 Apr 2024

The Clarion-Ledger

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Millions of cicadas are coming. Do they really attract copperhead snakes? 'It's fear-mongering greatly, greatly blown out of proportion. There's a lot of truth"...

'It's fear-mongering greatly, greatly blown out of proportion. There's a lot of truth to it, the thing is the fear-mongering on social media.'

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Cicadas explained: Three facts about buzzing insects

Still have questions about cicadas? We explore the lifespan of cicadas, what they eat and whether they are harmful to humans or pets.

It's a historic event in the world of insects. Two broods of periodic cicadas will emerge in the same year for the first time in over 200 years and billions of the singing bugs are expected to be heard soon.

But along with the bugs' emergence starting in mid-May in parts of Mississippi and elsewhere, are swarms of venomous copperhead snakes expected, too?

Brood XIX is one group that will emerge this year. Because they only emerge every 13 years, that's enough to cause excitement among cicada-lovers, but that's not what all the hoopla is about. A 17-year brood will also emerge this year: Brood XIII.

According to Cicada Safari, this is an unusual event. The last time these broods hatched in the same year was 1803 when Thomas Jefferson was president and Lewis and Clark were in the beginnings of their exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. It was also 14 years before Mississippi became a state.

However, there's another side to the event. According to various posts on social media, the emerging cicadas attract venomous copperhead snakes that make their way to bases of trees to dine of the bugs. In some cases, posters claim the snakes are everywhere during such events and more than a dozen can be found in a single yard. Some posts include a photo of several copperheads on and near the base of a tree.

More: Will Mississippi see a cicada invasion in 2024? | Curious Mississippi answers

Do cicadas attract copperhead snakes?

So, is it true? According to Mississippi herpetologist Terry Vandeventer, yes, but it's blown out of proportion.

"It's fear-mongering greatly, greatly blown out of proportion," Vandeventer said. "There's a lot of truth to it, the thing is the fear-mongering on social media.

"People need to do their fact-checking. Just because it's on social media doesn't mean it's true."

According to Cicada Safari, the insects taste like canned asparagus, but the flavor probably isn't why the reptiles enjoy them.

"They're really rich in protein," Vandeventer said. "They have more protein than a mouse.

"It's a favorite food. They love them. It's an easy meal with a lot of bang for their buck. Copperheads eat a lot of bugs. They eat cicadas, they eat katydids, they eat caterpillars. Again, it's protein."

More: Mississippi man finds bone from ice age apex predator, saber-toothed tiger

A pile of copperheads under one tree?

So, what about numerous copperheads around a single tree as if it's a buffet line? Vandeventer said it does happen, but the likelihood of it is slim.

"Very few people have had the opportunity to witness this," Vandeventer said. "I've never seen it.

"It's rare to see these large aggregations under trees. It's incredibly rare. When they do, they report it to a newspaper or a radio station and it gets blown up bigger than it really is."

So, what do you do if you encounter a copperhead during the cicada hatch? Vandeventer's advice has been the same for decades.

"Take two steps back and walk away."

Mississippi counties where cicada Brood XIX will emerge

Mississippi experiences smaller annual emergences of cicadas each summer, but here are the counties where Brood XIX is expected to emerge in large numbers.