Forget Cicadas, Illinois Has Plenty Of Creepy Spring Bugs Coming

For the past few months, Northern Illinois has been, for the most part, bug-free (that's because it's been wintertime of course). However, even though we're without bugs, that hasn't stopped us at all from obsessing over the upcoming cicada emergence that's coming soon.

Sure, billions and billions of cicadas emerging in a scene that we haven't witnessed as a country in over 200 years is something to talk about, but remember these cicadas aren't going to be around long and they don't bite, sting, or pass along Lyme disease. They basically make a hell of a lot of noise and pee on everything for a few weeks before they die, unlike the Illinois spring bugs that hang around until late fall.

Okay, So Maybe The Proportions Of The Bugs In The Two Shots Above Are A Little Off, But That Doesn't Mean There Aren't Some Nasty Illinois Spring Bugs That Can Cause You Problems

Similar to the expression "It's not paranoia if some really is trying to kill you," it's not entomophobia (fear of bugs) if the bugs are nasty and really trying to bite/sting/suck your blood.

If you find yourself being ridiculed by friends and family because of your extreme disdain for creepy-crawlies, just point out that even in Illinois, a state not really known for scary, nasty creatures (unless they're the ones in elected office), there are a few creatures that tend to give Illinois residents a good reason to be uneasy.

You Can Divide Illinois' Bugs Into About 3 Categories: Necessary And Helpful, Irritating But Not Dangerous, And Actually Nasty

Since discussion of the Illinois bugs that are necessary and helpful is pretty darn dull stuff, let's skip over them and move right to the annoying and dangerous bugs coming to life across Illinois.

You dealt with these guys in the Fall, and now they're waking up, stretching, and looking for things to stink up:

That's the brown marmorated stink bug, and he/she along with their extended family broke into your house in Fall of 2023 to get out of the cold and procreate (not sure which was their higher priority). Now that they're awake, they want to get out of your house and go attack fruit and ornamental plants.

Here's a fun fact that...well...really isn't fun: Illinois has up to 24 varieties of stink bugs scattered throughout our state.

We've Got Bees, Wasps, And Hornets Ready To Start Making Their Spring Rounds, But They're Really Only A Danger To Those Who Are Allergic--However, Ticks In Illinois Are A Different Story

Tick bites in Illinois are nothing to mess with, since those little buggers can give you Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis, and Ehrlichiosis.

And, as Patch.com points out, 37 of every 100,000 Midwest emergency room visits in April were for the treatment following a tick bite. Illinois has 15 varieties of ticks within our borders, and they're most active in April, May, and June.