All the Buzz

A rare × rare MINA DE LA O—GETTY IMAGES uncommon (adjective) Diamonds are a rare gemstone. event is taking place this spring. Trillions of Brood 10 cicadas have just spent 17 years underground. But in May, they will emerge × emerge DIGITAL VISION—GETTY IMAGES to come out (verb) The dog emerged from his hiding spot under the bed. . They will create a buzz as loud as a lawn mower. And by June or July, they will be gone. Their offspring × offspring JEFFREY SCHWARTZ / EYEEM—GETTY IMAGES the young of an animal or plant (noun) A cow takes care of her offspring. will do the same thing in another 17 years.

Cicadas come out to mate. The buzz you hear is their mating call. It’s the males that make all the noise. Michael Raupp studies insects at the University of Maryland, College Park. He says there will be plenty of drama. “There’s going to be birth. There’s going to be death. There’s going to be predation × predation STEPHEN FRINK—GETTY IMAGES the process of one living thing killing another for food (noun) Seals are vulnerable to predation by sharks. . There’s going to be romance. There are going to be songs,” he told TIME for Kids.

Brood 10 cicadas last emerged across the eastern United States in 2004

The cicadas will emerge when soil temperatures reach 64°F. The insects crawl out of the ground and fly up into the trees. If you’re standing outside, one might climb up your arm. But cicadas aren’t dangerous—they don’t bite or sting. “This unique event happens nowhere else on the planet,” Raupp says. “Just go out and enjoy these things.”