Iowa and other midwestern states are about to see the biggest emergence of cicadas we've seen in centuries.

Cicadas crawl out from underground every 13-17 years and some news outlets are preparing to call this 'Cicada-geddon' as trillions of cicadas are about to cover houses and make the ground crunchy, with their shells, when you walk.

This spring, Iowa as well as other parts of the country could see cicada numbers that haven't been seen since Thomas Jefferson was the president. The reason for these incredible cicada numbers is due to a 'double dose' with two broods preparing to come out from the ground around the same time.

According to KCCI, "The last time these two broods came out together in 1803 Thomas Jefferson, who wrote about cicadas in his Garden Book but mistakenly called them locusts, was president. And the dual emergence won't happen again until 2245."

If the BBC Global video experts are correct, most of these cicadas will hit Illinois, Missouri, and the eastern part of Iowa. The good news for Iowans and other Midwesterners is that a majority of them will be gone by July.

If You Absolutely Had Too...

I hope you never find yourself in a situation where you need to eat a Cicada but if you have to or are a curious person with a strong stomach, Brood XIX and Brood XIII cicadas are edible for humans.

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According to CBS News, if you'd like to enjoy a cicada meal, the tough exoskeleton isn't very good. It's also best to catch cicadas from a wooded area compared to your backyard. Cicadas found in your backyard could absorb any lawn chemicals or pesticides you've possibly used.

If you'd like to have a side of cicada, here's how to do it.

"Watch them climb up a tree and begin to molt from their outer shell. When they're out of their shell, gently grab the soft bodies, blanch them in boiling water for one minute, then put them into a zip-lock bag and place them in the freezer before preparing them to cook. You can add them to any of your favorite dishes. They don't need peeling or extensive prepping, just pan fry them or parboil and toast them in the oven, and then use them like you would any of their crustacean relatives."

The Taste

Despite they're small stature, cicadas can be an incredible source of protein when consumed. According to UGA, 'cicadas contain 21.4 g of crude protein per 100 g.' This is 1.6% more than you would find in pork or eggs.

The flavor is described as nutty and there is a nice crunch when you bite into them. While Ranch dressing is like liquid gold in Iowa, it is not recommended to try them with Iowa's favorite dipping sauce.

Have you ever tried a cicada and if you haven't, would you? I'll likely pass and try to scavage something out of my fridge or I might try this new limited snack from Kwik Star first before I go hunting during 'cicada-geddon.' I hope I'm never in a situation where it's my only chance at survival but it's good to know going forward you could eat them if you really had to.