Will cicadas show up if I havent seen them yet?
Experts say that chances are you might not see them, even if you live in a geographical area where the bugs are expected to emerge. The cicadas emerged in mid-May and generally will taper off around late June to early July. Because the emergence was strung out over seven or more days due to variable weather, they may be out for five weeks in any given area or even a bit longer, according to Chris Simon, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut. They generally gradually taper off.  Dr. Frank Hale, an entomologist with the University of Tennessee Extension, said there are certain conditions that must be met before cicadas will emerge in your backyard. Theyre looking for a twig, usually what, a pencil size in diameter, maybe even smaller, to lay their eggs, Hale said. The bugs prefer some trees and plants over others to lay their eggs in, including cherry trees, hackleberry trees, apple trees, and elms, Hale said. Cicadas also primarily feed on sap roots from underground, so if there arent many trees around, chances are you will not see too many cicadas  even if they are prevalent in a nearby town. The weather might also be a factor in the cicadas delayed emergence in your neighborhood. If you live near a body of water like a river, the soil could be waterlogged or overwintered, and it could drive away the cicadas, according to Paul Cappiello, the executive director of the Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Kentucky. A way to track cicadas in your area  If youre still wondering how to find cicadas in your area, you are not out of luck yet. There is a mobile app called Cicada Safari that you can download from the Apple app store or Google play where users can go on a cicada safari to find the bugs in the area. If a bug is found, a user can upload a picture of the cicada to the database, and after the photos are verified, they will be added to a live map that is constantly updated. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com  Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us at nj.com/tips.