JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Cicadas have been a nuisance for parts of the Northeast and Midwest this year. However, none of the bugs have emerged in Mississippi.
Mississippi State University (MSU) is the home of the world’s oldest bug camp. Dr. John Guyton is an associate professor at the university who directs the camp. He said this year is not our year for a surge.
Guyton said there’s a difference between the cicadas in the Northeast and the ones in Mississippi.
“There’s a lot of talk going on about cicadas right now that we do not have in Mississippi. There are annual cicadas and periodical ones. Periodical ones will not be in Mississippi this year, but we’ll have our annual ones,” he explained.
A trend that comes along with the periodical surge is cicada snacks.
“They’re covering them in chocolate. They’re barbecuing them. They’re doing all kinds of cool things,” said Guyton. He recommended eating the bugs, because they’re a good source of protein.
According to Guyton, the next time the periodical cicadas will pay Mississippi a visit will be in the next eight to 10 years.