Cicada Season Is Here, and It's Going to Be Spectacular

Trillions of 13- and 17-Year Cicadas to Emerge in 2024

Get Ready for a Once-in-a-Lifetime Event

This year, we're in for a very special treat. For the first time since 2015, a 13-year brood and a 17-year brood of periodical cicadas will emerge in the same year. And for the first time since 1998, adjacent 13- and 17-year broods will overlap, resulting in a truly spectacular emergence.

"This is a big, big event," said entomologist Gene Shockley. "We're talking trillions of cicadas emerging over the next few weeks."

The cicadas that will be emerging this year are part of two distinct broods, Brood X, which includes 13-year cicadas, and Brood XIII, which includes 17-year cicadas. Both broods are found in the eastern United States.

The cicadas belong to one of 15 periodical cicada broods which surface every 13 years or every 17 years. Broods of periodical cicadas emerge for a few weeks and make an deafening racket and then mate and lay eggs before dying off.

Periodical cicadas are a fascinating group of insects. They spend most of their lives underground as nymphs, feeding on the roots of trees. They only emerge above ground for a few weeks every 13 or 17 years to mate and lay eggs.

The emergence of periodical cicadas is a major event in the natural world. It provides a food source for birds, mammals, and other animals. It also helps to aerate the soil and recycle nutrients.

If you're lucky enough to live in an area where periodical cicadas are emerging this year, be sure to take some time to enjoy the spectacle. It's something you won't want to miss.

Here are a few tips for preparing for cicada season:

• Be aware of the cicadas' emergence schedule. In most areas, they will begin to emerge in late April or early May.
• Protect your plants. Cicadas can damage young plants by feeding on their roots. If you have young plants, you may want to cover them with netting or burlap.
• Be patient. Cicadas can be noisy, but they are only around for a few weeks. Enjoy the spectacle while you can.

All seven periodical species will be visible this year, which won't happen again until 2037. "It's going to be really great if you're an entomologist," Shockley said. "Although the full-scale emergence isn't underway yet, experts have some guidance on how to prepare for cicada season.