After last year’s double brood Cicadapocalypse, you might have thought we’re off the hook for cicadas this year… but nope! This year, Brood XIV will bring millions of bugs out of the ground for the summer cycle. Keep scrolling to learn all about this year’s cicadas!
Where will the cicadas be this year?
According to a map from The Farmer’s Almanac, the cicadas will emerge in 13 states:
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Kentucky
- West Virginia
- Maryland
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Massachusetts
Are these the same cicadas as last year?
Nope! These guys are new cicadas! The Farmer’s Almanac says,
There are many different types of cicadas, ones with life cycles that overlap and appear to come out every summer and others that stay underground for several years before emerging in the spring. There are over 3,000 species of cicadas around the world. 190 species are in North America.
Since the two broods that are emerging in some places are both 17-year cycle broods, this is not technically a ‘double brood’ event, like in 2024 last year.
How many cicadas are going to emerge?
Trillions. No, seriously, some estimates show that there will be millions of cicadas per acre in some places. The more densely wooded an area is, the more likely it is to house more cicadas. But of course, many of them make their way into the city nevertheless!
Are cicadas dangerous?
No, not at all. In fact, the Farmer’s Almanac actually says,
Despite their overwhelming numbers and loud mating calls, cicadas are harmless to humans and beneficial to local ecology. Though they are often considered to be pests, cicadas serve as a nutritious food source for birds. They even enrich the soil!
So annoying? Maybe. Dangerous? Definitely not.