Flickr photo by USDAgovBefore too long, in some areas of the country, the 17-year, or periodical, cicadas will be making their appearance. They live about a foot underground as nymphs for most of their lives, feeding on roots of a tree. We do see these insects more often then every 17 years, as there are 12 groups, or broods, of them that emerge in a staggered timeframe across the region. Noted for the unique noise that the male cicadas create by way of an organ under their wings called a tymbal, the one objective that they have once they make their way from underground once the soil reaches a certain temperature is to find a mate.