Amusement park guests told to keep mouths shut on rides due to cicada swarms
The last time this cicada brood emerged was in 2008.
Cicada Brood 14 has emerged in parts of the eastern U.S., and they're causing quite a stir.
Visitors to Kings Island Amusement and Waterpark in Mason, Ohio, were recently advised to keep their mouths closed on rides to prevent a close encounter with a flying cicada.
A series of viral videos shows guests swatting and running away from cicadas at Kings Island. Their loud chirps dominate the scene.
"They literally land on you and fly into your face!" TikTok user Kyla Renee Carter said in a video upload caption.
Local media reports the cicadas are "covering" every tree in the area, and their noises are drowning out the sounds of the rides.
TikTok user Brittanyhunter273 said cicada activity seems to die down at the park after 5 p.m., making evenings the best time to visit.
Dr. Gene Kritsky from Mount St. Joseph University told WCPO Brood 14 has "history" in the region, having first been spotted by the pilgrims in 1634.
A cicada brood represents a group of periodical cicadas that emerge en masse in a certain area after spending the first 13 or 17 years underground.
This particular brood has a 17-year life cycle. An emergence typically lasts between 4 and 6 weeks. During that time, cicadas shed their exoskeleton, mate, lay eggs, and then die. The cycle then repeats.
The last time Brood 14 emerged was in 2008.
We'll see them again in 2042.
Header image: Created by Cheryl Santa Maria for The Weather Network using elements from Canva Pro.