Saleen MartinUSA TODAY
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Spring is approaching, and soon, the buzz of cicadas will permeate throughout neighborhoods in the eastern half of the United States.
This year, cicadas from Brood XIV will be seen – and heard – in 13 states,said Gene Kritsky, founder of Cicada Safari, a group that crowdsources and reviews data on cicadas.
The noisy insects are often a sure sign spring has sprung and summer is near as they make their presence known to neighbors with a loud buzzing sound.
Should you expect cicadas in your area this year? When will they emerge? Here's what to know.
Which brood of cicadas is emerging in 2025?
This spring, residents can expect to see cicadas from Brood XIV, or periodical cicadas that emerge every 17 years.
It's considered to be among the largest periodical cicada broods along with Brood XIX, which emerged in 2024, according to the University of Connecticut.
When are cicadas expected to emerge?
Brood XIV probably will begin to emerge in the third week of April or when areas get a “good rain,” Kritsky told USA TODAY on Wednesday, noting history is likely to repeat itself.
The cicadas, which are initially burrowed underground, emerge once soil temperatures reach 64 to 65 degrees, he said.
Which states are expecting cicadas?
States expecting cicadas this year include Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, Kritsky said.
Kentucky and Tennessee probably will get the most cicadas this year, said John Cooley, an ecology and biology associate professor in residence at theUniversity of Connecticut. There will also be large numbers in Georgia, the Carolinas and Pennsylvania, he said.
Based on historical data and depending upon the weather, the first states to get cicadas will be southern states such as Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, said Kritsky, from Cicada Safari.
Here's when Kritsky says cicadas will likely emerge in different areas:
- Third week of April – northern Georgia
- Fourth week of April – southern Tennessee and South Carolina
- First week of May – central Ohio, northern Tennessee, western Virginia
- Second or third week of May – West Virginia, northern Kentucky, southern Ohio, Maryland and Massachusetts
There may also be cicadas in southern Indiana, he said.
We also spoke to Kritsky to get answers to questions community members have been searching for. Here’s what you need to know about the latest group of cicadas emerging this spring.
How long will cicadas stick around?
Cicadas, which are called nymphs in their immature stage, don’t all emerge in one night, Kritsky said.
“It takes about two full weeks for the great bulk of the cicadas to come out,” he said. “Once they start coming out at a specific location, that starts the clock. You’ll have cicadas at that location for the next six weeks.”
The nymphs first make their way out of the ground, then crawl up a tree or an upright surface, Kritsky said. They then lock their claws onto the surface they’ve chosen.
According toCooley, come July, there will hardly be any sign of cicadas minus the holes in the ground and the eggs in the trees.
How does this year's brood compare with last year's?
Kritsky said this year's brood, XIV, will be heavy in some areas. The two broods from last year – the 13-year brood Brood XIX and the 17-year Brood XIII – emerged in more states, however.
Another large 17-year brood, Brood X, emerged in 2021 in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Can cicadas give me mites?
Kritsky said cicadas have been reported to lead to oak leaf itch mite, but that’s mainly when people spend time under oak trees six to 10 weeks after the cicadas have laid their eggs.
“The eggs start to hatch, but when they hatch, also leaving the egg nests are the mites,” he said. “They drop out of the egg nests onto people and cause an itching reaction.”
The answer to preventing the itching sensation is simple, he said: “If they start emerging in mid-May, don’t sit under the oak tree during the month of July.”
Why do cicadas buzz?
The buzzing noise associated with cicadas is their version of singing, said Cooley, from the University of Connecticut. The males sing three types of songs, engage in duets with the females and then mate, he told USA TODAY.
Do cicadas sleep?
Kritsky said there’s no way to know for sure if cicadas sleep, but they do quiet down at night.
He recalled a time four years ago when a brood emerged in a tree in his backyard. He was lying on a second-floor deck behind his house and saw what the cicadas were up to.
He shined a flashlight on them about 6 feet away and watched as they clung to the tree branches silently.
“Most of them were on the underside of the big tree branches,” he said.
More on the next brood: Are cicadas returning this year? What to know about Brood XIV and where to spot them
Is my garden safe with cicadas?
Kritsky said people worried about their gardens should not fret. Cicadas don’t eat. Instead, they drink, he said.
They initially feed on grass roots and then later puncture the xylem tissue that carries water to tree leaves.
If anything, the only damage cicadas cause is when females lay eggs at the ends of branches, sometimes breaking branches and turning the leaves brown.
“However, that doesn't kill the tree,” he said. “It actually can be possibly beneficial because it‘s like a natural pruning. ... The flower next year will be even larger.”
How to track cicada sightings
Kritsky collects data on cicadas via his Cicada Safari app and website. He encourages parents and guardians to talk to their children about cicadas and try out some of the activities he has listed on his website.
Cicada enthusiasts can even talk to their parents and grandparents about cicadas that have emerged over the past few decades.
“If you're lucky enough to live in an area where the cicadas are and you’ve got kids, take them outside during the night,” he said. “Let them see this. This is a once-in-a-generation activity. They'll never forget it.”
This story was updated to remove a video.
Contributing: Emily DeLetter
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
