Long after the Brood X cicadas were gone, those small burrow holes they left behind were still having an impact on the soil.

Experts say the number of Brood X cicadas emerging this year is on par with their last appearance 17 years ago.

Beneath the ground, right now, millions of small, winged bugs are waiting. And sometime in the next few weeks, these cicadas will burst forth -- almost all at once.

The swarms of red-eyed bugs that are soon to be buzzing through the air have some enthralled, some intrigued, some disgusted and some terrified -- but everyone can help better understand the periodical creatures.