Reporters and scientists, up and down the East Coast, are reporting about the invasion that is about to happen with the 17 year cicada that is to happen this spring.

The first of these critters are set to emerge have already been spotted in North Carolina and New Jersey, but they will hit harder later this month when the weather hits 64 degrees as an average.

Every 17 years these insects mature, mate, lay eggs and die in  a deafening concerto, and then their offspring burrow 8 inches into  the ground. There, they feed on the sap  from roots until their day in the sun arrives.

According to enquirer news, most are on a 17-year cycle, though three reproduce every 13 years and the  cycles are staggered, meaning that at least one of the broods hatches each year.

The question many people here in Western Pennsylvania are asking is, “How hard are they going to hit here?”

Well, according to a WPXI article, “they will be in Harrisburg, but they aren’t going to make it over the mountains into Western Pennsylvania. We’re on a different cycle. The 17-year cicada will make a return to the South Hills in 2016.”

An interesting bit of local information for those who are curious, the North and South Hills are on different cycles for the cicada and the Ohio River is the dividing line. The cicadas will return north of Pittsburgh in 2019.

Cicadas themselves are very harmless to humans. The fact they come in swarms tends to scare people, but the only harm they do is add a little more noise outside as they look for mates.