You read that right. BILLIONS.

That's why this summer could be the loudest ever, as cicadas make their way from underground -- and they've waited 17 years to come up.

WKBW spoke to the director of programs and experiences at the Buffalo Museum of Science, Sarajane Gomlak-Green:

“But what’s special about these cicadas this year is that these guys, they’ve been hanging out underground for the past 17 years,” Gomlak-Green said.

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According to WKBW, we can expect to see different types of cicadas this season -- the usual annual cicadas that emerge every year, and the "old-timers" -- the ones that spend 17 years underground hibernating -- periodical cicadas.

“They look different from regular cicadas like they’re not green or anything. They got red eyes and black bodies which is kind of cool,” Gomlak-Green said.

Will there really be billions of the insects coming? There will, but that doesn't mean you'll see any more than usual, but you'll likely hear them:

“Not gonna lie a lot of them we’re not going to see because they hang up in trees, but you’re gonna hear them. You’ll definitely hear them,” said Gomlak-Green.

The insects only come up from underground to breed, and according to the Buffalo Museum of Science, they are harmless to humans.

If temperatures remain warm, you should be hearing those sounds soon.

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