A cicada sheds its nymphal skin in Washington on May 22. Trillions of Brood X cicadas are emerging in the U.S. East after spending 17 years underground. (Carolyn Kaster | AP) Eating cicadas isn’t for everyone, but for many, the red-eyed critters are a delicacy. And now that billions in Brood X are rising from the ground like zombies after 17 long years, so too are the rumors about the pros and cons of tossing them in your stir fry. A star among the gossip: munching on cicadas can make you high. Although there are more conventional ways to feel a buzz, this exotic option is not entirely ludicrous, experts say, and can happen “if you’re motivated enough,” according to Matt Kasson, an assistant professor of forest pathology at West Virginia University.