4 MORE: Gene Kritsky
As part of our year-end issue, we are revisiting Cincinnati People stories from throughout 2021.
We checked in with Dr. Gene Kritsky, dean of behavioral and natural sciences at Mt. St. Joseph university, and is widely regarded as the go-to expert on periodic cicadas.
The original interview from May is below.
What’s been the biggest surprise to you in 2021?
While the emergence of Brood X was expected, there were some notable surprises. In particular, the events of June 8 – 11 in Maryland. June 8 was the day that cicadas were flying in large numbers in the Washington DC area, and they flew into the auxiliary power unit of President Biden’s press plane that it was grounded.
There were so many flying cicadas that they were detected on weather radar, and over the next two days later millions of dead cicadas were washing up on the beach at Herring Bay.
That was a first.
What’s changed since we last spoke?
I had to work out how to map over half a million cicada photographs. That required that I had to learn to use new software. That turned out to be quite enjoyable.
What did you learn about Cincinnati?
You have to love Greater Cincinnati. I received well over 100,000 photos from my neighbors! We really do go bug crazy when the cicadas emerge. I know many people do not enjoy them as much as my wife, Jessee, and I do; but there are also many other do really get into the cicada scene.
What are you looking forward to most in 2022?
2022 is going to be not a hectic as 2021. There are no periodical cicada broods expected in 2022 and 2023. That will give us time to analyze the 2021 emergence. The next cicada emergence will be in 2024 in Illinois where two different broods will emerge together. That only happens once every 221 years, so we are already preparing for that emergence.
Southwest Ohio will next see periodical cicadas in 2025.
Internationally renowned cicada expert, and admitted “frustrated historian,” Dr. Gene Kritsky shares the when, where, and how of the upcoming Brood X emergence. He also hints that though cicadas may not always be great for trees they could be a bit of a good luck charm for the Reds.
Want to hear more from Dr. Kritsky? Check out his new podcast with WVXU, Brood X.