With all the buzz about the impending cicada season and the circulation of disturbing cicada recipes online, PETA is sharing the inside scoop on these seldom-seen insects and urging everyone to leave them to live out their life cycle—and keep them off the menu. Please encourage people to show some kindness to these much-maligned little animals by sharing these facts about them:

They provide free lawn care. When cicadas burrow, they aerate the soil.
That constant buzzing during cicada season is typically the male cicadas humming to attract mates.
Periodical cicadas aren’t dangerous to plant life. They aren’t fans of vegetables or flowers and prefer to get their leafy greens from trees.
They respect “quiet hour” laws. Cicadas only “play their music” loudly during the day.
According to ancient Chinese tradition, cicadas are powerful symbols of rebirth. Periodical cicadas mature underground for 17 years, only to enjoy a few weeks aboveground before they die.

“Cicadas wait underground for nearly two decades just to experience one month of fresh air and sunlight, and it’s cruel to rob them of that,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA asks, ‘Must humans eat every living being?’ and encourages everyone to ‘live and let live’ by respecting the brief aboveground visit that cicadas are entitled to.”

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