8 Fun Facts About Cicadas
Periodical cicadas are returning to many parts of the U.S. this spring. Learn more about these noisy insects with these interesting cicada facts.
- Periodical cicada broods come out every 13 years or 17 years.
- In 2024, Brood XIII (17-year) and Brood XIX (13-year) emerge simultaneously for the first time in 221 years. Illinois is the primary state that will see both broods.
- Brood XIX has emerged in some counties in Tennessee, as well as North Carolina, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.
- Brood XIII is further north, primarily in Illinois, eastern Iowa and southern Wisconsin.
- They emerge when soil temperatures about 8 inches under the ground’s surface warm up to 64 degrees.
- The adult males sing to attract mates, which can be incredibly loud.
- Cicadas are harmless and do not bite or sting, though they can cause damage in newly planted orchards by laying eggs in twigs and shoots.
- After hatching, the cicada nymphs then fall to the ground and burrow into the earth, where they will spend the next 13 or 17 years.
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