Brood X emerged in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York (not yet extinct), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. Report them with the Cicada Safari app. Use the hashtag #BroodX or #BroodXCicadas on social media.
LATEST NEWS:
Enjoy this video from 2021:
12/27/21: Dr. Gene Kritsky’s retrospective on the 2021 Brood X emergence has been published on the America Entomologist website.
In the news:
- NJ.com: Cicadas invade N.J. town where aliens landed in ‘War of the Worlds’.
- New York Times: The Case of the Disappearing Cicadas
- Bloomberg CityLab: To Map Billions of Cicadas, it Takes Thousands of Citizen Scientists
- NJ.com: Big 2021 cicada invasion hasn’t started yet in N.J., but some early cicadas have arrived
- Washington Post: Get ready! We predict cicadas will begin emerging next week.
- c|net: Billions of bugs: Meet the cicada chasers trailing Brood X.
- Fstoppers: Photographers Should Put This on Their Calendar Right Now: The Brood X Cicada Storm in Eastern U.S.
Interesting merch:
- A nice Magicicada pin by Carolyn Belefski
- A Brood X Cicada Notebook for documenting your cicada experiences.
- Cicadas Don’t Scream Activity Book.
- Gene Kritsky’s Periodical Cicadas: The Brood X Edition
- Sue Fink’s Cicada Suite (music) comes with a cicada shaped flash drive.
Articles about Brood X, a retrospective:
- Brood X Magicicada photos by Jim Occi taken in Princeton, set 6
- Brood X Magicicada photos by Jim Occi taken in Princeton, set 5
- Brood X Magicicada photos by Jim Occi taken in Princeton, set 4
- Brood X Magicicada photos by Jim Occi taken in Princeton, set 3
- Magicicada cassinii photos from Brood X
- Examples of flagging from Brood X in Princeton
- Brood X Magicicada photos by Jim Occi, set 2
- Brood X Magicicada Photos by Jim Occi
- Brood X 2021 Princeton, New Jersey
- Brood X in Grover’s Mill, West Windsor & Plainsboro, New Jersey
What, when, where, and why:
What are these cicadas?
Billions of these insects:
- Black, orange and red Cicada insects with a 17-year life cycle.
- Some people call them “locusts” but they’re really cicadas.
- Which species: All three 17-year species, Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini and Magicicada septendecula. How to tell the difference between the species.
- NOT the green ones that arrive annually.
When will these cicadas emerge:
Typically beginning in May and ending in late June. These cicadas will begin to emerge approximately when the soil 8" beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit. A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence. Back in 2004, people began reporting emergences around May, 13th, but if the weather is warmer, it might start in late April. Update: in 2021, they started in Tennessee on 4/27.
Other tips: these cicadas will emerge after the trees have grown leaves, and, by my own observation, around the same time Iris flowers bloom:
Magicicada on an iris flower in Scotch Plains by Judy Lanfredi
Where will these cicadas emerge:
Cicadas @ UCONN has the most up to date map. If you see a cicada and want to report it, the Cicada Safari App is available for Android and Apple devices .
Here’s my list from 2004. Green highlight means adults have emerged in 2021!
Delaware:
Delaware counties: Kent, New Castle, Sussex.
Delaware places: Newark, Wilmington.
Georgia:
Georgia counties: Gilmer, Murray, Union, White, .
Georgia places: Blairsville, Blue Ridge, Chatsworth, Ellijay, Fort Mountain State Park, Norcross.
Illinois:
Illinois counties: Edgar, Clark, Cook, Crawford, Vermilion.
Illinois places: Marshall, Park Forest, University Park.
Indiana:
Indiana counties: Brown, Clark, Clay, Columbus, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Dubois, Fountain, Gibson, Greene, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Lawrence, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Ripley, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vigo, Warrick, Waveland, Washington.
Indiana places: Aurora, Bloomington, Brookville, Clinton Falls, Dillsboro, Fishers, French Lick, Henryville, Indianapolis, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Martinsville, McCormick’s Creek State Park, Nashville, New Pelkin, North Vernon, Salem, Skiles Test Park, Spencer.
Kentucky:
Kentucky counties: Boone, Breckenridge, Bullitt, Carroll, Daviess, Gallatin, Grayson, Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, Livingston, La Rue, McLean, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Trimble.
Kentucky places: Big Bone Lick State Park, Covington, Dayton, Dry Ridge, Eastview, Florence, Ft. Thomas, Georgetown, Grand Rivers, Hebron, Highland Heights, Louisville, Newport, Villa Hills.
Maryland:
Maryland counties: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Washington.
Maryland places: Abingdon, Annapolis, Aspen Hill, Baltimore (learn about the Baltimore Cicada Art project), Bel Air, Beltsville, Berwyn Heights, Bethesda, Bowie, Brooklandville, Brooklyn Park, Catonsville, Chevy Chase, Clarksville, Clinton, Colesville, College Park, Columbia, Cockeysville, Crofton, Cumberland, District Heights, Eldersburg, Elkridge, Elkton, Ellicott City, Fair Hill, Fallston, Forestville, Four Corners, Gaithersburg, Gambrills, Germantown, Glen Burnie, Glenelg, Greenbelt, Gwynn Oak, Hagerstown, Hanover, Havre De Grace, Hillcrest Heights, Hunt Valley, Hyattsville, Hydes, Jessup, Kensington, Landover Hills, Laurel, Linthicum, Loch Raven watershed, Lutherville, Odenton, Oella, Onley, Owings Mills, Pikesville, Potomac, Randallstown, Reisterstown, Riverdale, Rockville, Severna Park, Sharpsburg, Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Timonium, Towson, Travilah, Wheaton, Woodbine.
Want a FREE cicada book? In the DC area? Visit Lulu Florist, 4801 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, MD, and ask for a free copy of Cicada: Exotic Views by Davy Shian.
Michigan:
Michigan counties: Hillsdale, Washtenaw.
Michigan places: Ann Arbor, Canton, Quincy.
New Jersey:
New Jersey counties: Burlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Salem, Somerset, Warren.
New Jersey places: Alexandria, Allerton, Annandale, Asbury, Belle Mead, Bethlehem Township, Berkeley Heights, Bloomsbury, Browns Mills, Carpentersville, Clinton, Clinton Township, Cranbury, Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington, Franklin Park, Franklin Township (Somerset), Franklin Township (Warren), Frenchtown, Greenwich Township, Grover’s Mill, Hampton, Harmony, Hillsborough Township, Holland Township, Hopewell Township, Kendall Park, Kingston, Kingwood Township, Lambertville, Lawrence, Lebanon, Merrill Creek Reservoir, Milford, Montgomery, Monmouth Junction, Morristown, Mt. Rose, Pennington, Perryville, Phillipsburg, Plainsboro Township, Pittstown, Pohatcong Township, Princeton, Princeton Junction, Princeton Meadows, Prallsville, Raritan Township, Raven Rock, Readington Township, Ringoes, Rosemont, Rocky Hill, Skillman, Sourland Mountain, South Brunswick Township, Stanton, Stewartsville, Stockton, Union Township (Hunterdon), Voorhees Corner, West Windsor Township.
There’s an abundance of large parks and natural areas around Princeton.
New York (Long Island):
New York counties: Suffolk (but extinct, or nearly so, but still look for them – Newsday article).
New York places: All on Long Island, but based on the 2004 emergence, they might be extinct. Some were seen in East Setauket, Connetquot River State Park, Ronkonkoma, Stony Brook. In 1987 they were seen in Shirley, Ronkonkoma, Bohemia, Connetquot River State Park, Oakdale, and Setauket.
In Long Island? Please read this article!.
North Carolina:
North Carolina counties: Buncombe, Cherokee, Surry, Wilkes.
North Carolina places: Apex, Elkin, Morganton, Murphy, Roaring River, Weaverville.
Ohio:
Ohio counties: Butler, Clermont, Defiance, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Logan, Montgomery.
Ohio places: Amelia, Anderson Twp, Battelle Darby Park, Batavia, Bellbrook, Camden, Centerville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Defiance, Delaware, Delhi Twp, Dublin, Fairfield, Galloway, Hamilton, Kettering, Lewisburg, Lockland, Miamisburg, Olmsted Falls, Oxford, Paint Creek State Park, Springfield, St. Bernard, West Carrollton, West Chester.
Pennsylvania:
Pennsylvania counties: Adams, Bedford, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Columbia, County, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Schuylkill, Somerset, York.
Pennsylvania places:Archbald, Artemas, Bedford, Carroll Valley, Coopersburg, Dinosaur Rock, Downingtown, Erwinna, Gettysburg, Green Lane, Kintnersville, Lake Nockamixon, Lancaster, Lititz, Lumberville, Malvern, Mertztown, Metal Township, Mohnton, Mt Gretna, New Hope, Oaks, Oley, Perkasie, Perkiomenville, Phoenixville, Pipersville, Pittston, Plumstead Township, Point Pleasant, Quakertown, Red Lion, Roaring Spring, Solebury Township, Spring Mount, Stewartstown, Tinicum Township, Topton, Uhlerstown, Upper Black Eddy, Warwick Park, Williams Township.
Special note for folks in the Philly area: Is Philly Being Snubbed Again?.
Tennessee:
Tennessee counties: Blount, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Polk, Roane, Sumner, Washtington, Wilson.
Tennessee places: Benton, Copperhill, Farragut, Fayetteville, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Powell, Signal Mountain.
Virginia:
Virginia counties: Arlington, Clarke, County, Dulles Smithsonian National Aircraft and Space Museum, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Shenandoah, Warren, Winchester.
Virginia places: Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Ashburn, Centreville, Chantilly, Clearbrook, Del Ray, Doswell, Dunn Loring, Fairfax, Falls Church, Franconia, Gore, Hampton Roads, Haymarket, Herndon, Lorton, Lovettsville, Manassas, McLean, Merrifield, Oakton, Reston, Springfield, Sterling, Vienna, White Post, Winchester.
West Virginia:
West Virginia counties: Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan.
West Virginia places: Inwood, Martinsburg, New Creek, Paw Paw.
Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. places: Washington D.C.
Want a FREE cicada book? In the DC area? Visit Lulu Florist, 4801 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, MD, and ask for a free copy of Cicada: Exotic Views by Davy Shian.
More Location Tips:
- Reports of Brood X cicadas that emerged early in 2017.
- County data is from the Cicada Central Periodical Cicada Record Database. Cities come from May 2004 reports and June 2004 reports.
- Not sure? Ask someone in your community who lived there 17 years ago.
Example Emergence Timeline
This is an example of a typical cicada emergence. The exact dates will depend on the weather and density of the emergence in your location. Hot weather means an early start and quicker finish to the season — cool weather means a later start, and a protracted season.
Here’s an Excel version of the chart. Feel free to use it and adjust it to match your experience.
Or watch the video version:
Some interesting things to look for
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Lean why many cicada wings are striveled up or damaged. |
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Learn about the Massospora cicadina fungus they share. |
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Look for cicadas with blue, white or other colored eyes. |
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Look for Mosaic pigment disorders. |
Why do cicadas:
Why do they stay underground for 17-years? The prevailing research suggests they’ve evolved a long, 17-year lifecycle to avoid predators that can sync up with their lifecycle & emergence. Why are there so many?! Research suggests that their huge numbers allow them to overwhelm predators, so enough of them will live on to breed and perpetuate the brood.
Should you plant?
If you’re planting trees, wait until July. If your yard doesn’t get cicadas by the first week of June, it’s probably safe to plant in June. It’s the egg-laying that does damage. Talk to an arborist or tree expert if you’re actually concerned. I can’t answer your questions.
More facts and fun:
- New! Cicada Mania Crossword Puzzle. It isn’t easy.
- New! Cicada Mania Bingo!
- Use the correct image and the correct language when talking about these cicadas. Here’s some images you can share.
- Use the Periodical Cicada Emergence Checklist for the Maximum Magicicada Experience.
- All cicada questions that are frequently asked.
- A video to help you tell the difference between the species.
- The 17 Most Interesting Periodical cicada facts.
1907 Map from Marlatt, C.L.. 1907. The periodical cicada. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology.
Things have changed since 1907. See the modern UConn Cicada Map, or the Live Map from the Cicada Safari app.
Leave a comment below, or join the Cicada Discussion & Science Group on Facebook.
Great article!
thanks for information
Brood X has been very enjoyable in the Rosemont NJ area! There seems to be large clusters everywhere you go, particularly RavenRock road area and Zega Lockatong Preserve. Although I’ve heard them all over Western Delaware Township. But sadly it will be quiet soon, gonna miss those bugs!
I live to the west of the Blue Ridge mountains near Claytor Lake state park in Pulaski County,Virginia. I understand from the local weather station that there will be an emergence around Claytor Lake. Can anybody out there confirm this, and what geographic area they are located? thank you!
There shouldn’t be any in the Claytor Lake area. Most are up around D.C.
Should I expect to see lots of cicadas when I go to DC this weekend? (hope I do)
If you look in the right places. Use the Cicada Safari app to see where they’ve been reported. You might not see them near the Capitol building or White House, but they’re near the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and the park that is east of Rt 1.
How fast will they die off in the final 2-3 weeks?
Before you know it. One day they’re there and few days later — quiet.
In Arlington VA, they seem fully out in the neighborhoods, but in the denser woods it’s nearly silent. Are the cicadas in the deeper woods still waiting to emerge due to the cooler, shadier environment? Seems very late!
Periodical cicadas prefer areas on the end of the forest, which suburbs and parks emulate. They don’t do so well in forests where sunlight doesn’t reach the forest flood and grasses and intermedia-sized plants do not exist.
Yahoo! Flew in to Northern Virginia from Washington State to tick this off my bucket list and found all three species within 100 yards of where I parked my car at Ellanor C. Lawrence park. Thanks Cicadamania!
I wrote a story a while back about Cicadas called “What’s All The Buzz About”. If interested, I’d like to send it to you for your reading pleasure.
Thank you!
Dennis Hageman
Sure.
Actually, looks like Monday (Memorial Day) will also be pretty sunny, albeit just a day after all the bad weather. Would cicadas be active on Monday if I went then?
I was planning on visiting DC tomorrow to see the cicadas but it looks like the weather won’t be so good then. Should I still go tomorrow or should I try next week?
Hi there! First, thank you for all your hard work on this site! I’ve used it quite a bit over the years to check in and find out where it’s “safe” from this madness and where it’s not (sorry to say, I am NOT a fan of these critters as fascinating as they are). So I’m checking in here from Montgomery County, MD where I just came outside to realize it’s only 51° here at 2 pm, so I imagine it dipped a bit lower overnight, and it’s not expected to get much warmer over the next couple of days. How will this affect them? As much as I don’t care for their singing triggering my tinnitus and anxiety over them flying into me, I’d hate to think they waited all this time to come out and get wiped out by a freak cool-snap. Thanks again! 🙂
Omg! The cicadas were going off yesterday, in western NJ. now it is 55degrees and blowey for the next three days. Will the cicadas bounce back from all this weather?
They usually do, but some will die.
I’ve found brood X in my town! Where can I share pictures?
You can post them on this Facebook group for Cicada Discussion https://www.facebook.com/groups/cicadadiscussion or post them on Twitter or Instagram and tag @cicadamania.
I’m in Maryland in the Annapolis Area. Do you know how long they’re going to stay?
About 3 weeks.
I researched this in 2004 Middle Tennessee (Nashville), could not find nothing, not even a shell. I visited the counties that reported sightings 17 years previous – Nothing. John Cooley’s map had them mostly in East Tennessee, the mountain range. I was disappointed because I drove from Florida to come up empty.
I am planning a trip from 6/6-6/11 to hopefully witness Brood X. I know the cicadas will be past their highest numbers in many states, and I’m having a hard time choosing a destination. I was hoping to ask for some advice. I am a very eco-concious traveler and promise to be a good steward to nature and communities!
Little on the late end, so I would recommend a northern location, like New Jersey (Princeton), Indiana.
Thank you for your reply! Do you think Ann Arbor Michigan might work?
Maybe. Looking at the Cicada Safari app, they have arrived there.
I’ve been seeing many cicadas that look just like septendecula, except the dark orange lines on the abdomen are broken down the center. are they cassinii or septendecula? i’m in baltimore county md, if geography helps.
Send a photo to cicadamania@gmail.com.
We live in Schuylkill county Pennsylvania, anyone know if or when to expect them here? A Few years ago (about 8-10) we had a good number of cicadas and then in 2017 we noticed seeing maybe 5-8 of them then they were gone. I love them because they are really interesting scientifically to me but I really don’t like when they bang into me, my pets, my home etc….it freaks me out somewhat like straight out of an old Horror movie, yet I collect a few just to take pictures of them and to observe their life cycle.
I am in Maryland do you know how long the cicada’s will stay?
We visited the Princeton, NJ area this weekend. The Brood X cicadas are definitely out and getting louder daily. Quite an infestation so far. You need to avoid them when you walk.
They have emerged in my backyard today!
Personally I’m thrilled. I think they’re really neat. They’re cute lil buggers with their red eyes, if you look closely they look a little cross eyed.
I’m in southeast Indiana, a bit southwest of Rising Sun.
Cicadas have emerged in full force in Princeton, NJ and Blawenburg. (Please add Somerset to the list of NJ counties)
Hi! I am fascinated by cicadas and have heard that cicadas may have evolved to avoid predators’ population cycles by emerging every 13 or 17 years. Are there specific predators that undergo periodical population growth? I know Lynx and snowshoe hare are the standard examples of animals that undergo boom and bust cycles but was wondering if there are any others.
Will they be getting more dense in Catonsville, MD? How densely will they be flying around less than 6′ from the ground?
They mostly stick to the trees. Wait a week and we’ll see.
We are on the Chesapeake Bay in Mayo, MD near Edgewater, have seen some holes and some empty casing but no live cicadas or sounds. Are we missing something or does the birds get them all?
I see a record for 2004 for Shoreham Beach Road. Not sure if that’s in Mayo or just near it on the map. It could be that they’re going extinct there as we see in other places like Long Island NY. The dry weather is slowing the emergence down though, so you might see more once we start getting more rain.
I watered parts of my yard yesterday afternoon, and those areas saw an unbelievable number emerge. Much of the mid Atlantic is bone dry and it’s probably keeping them from wanting to emerge.
The moisture helps for certain. Looks like no rain until next weekend.
Will brood x show up in Middletown delaware?
If it doesn’t by this weekend, the answer is no.
Hi! I love in PG County( mitchelleville/Bowie, MD) and I looked at the UConn map and barely saw cicadas AND I haven’t seen any yet in my area. It’s 5/21 does that mean I’m out the clear?
They were in Bowie last time around. Sometimes they show up on one side of a town and not the others. I would say that if you don’t get them by this weekend, you won’t get them.
I’m in Middletown Delaware. I’m from Baltimore where they were all over the place and the noise was so amazing in 2004. Does anyone on here live in Delaware that have seen any cicadas? I know we are in the are where brood x is gonna be but I’m wondering if anyone else knows about my area with cicadas? I have been seeing a few finger sized holes the past few days and am hopeful they arrive here.
They have definitely arrived in Newark, DE.
Newark is bad. I live off Old Baltimore Pike and they are all over the trees. My dog thinks they are tasty snack so she is on a leash when she goes out in the back yard until they are gone. Very loud as well.
I’m planning on visiting DC to see Brood X. I want to go at the time of peak emergence. I plan to visit this Sunday but my family wants to visit on Memorial Day weekend. Which of these days should I go to coincide with peak emergence; this weekend or Memorial Day weekend?
Memorial Day.
Thank you!
Brood X emergence is strong around Bloomington, IN, in the southern part of the state, especially on the Indiana University Campus.
They have also started singing, per reports from friends in that area.
No Brood X emergence is noted yet in and around Kokomo, IN (Howard County), but very warm temperatures yesterday, today (82°F+) and over the weekend (predicted 85°F+) will undoubtedly bring them out.
I’ve noticed that the calls of periodical cicadas are much quieter than annual cicadas. is this because they live much closer together than other cicadas, thus live closer to potential mates?
Maybe. They do cooperate as a group to call in the females, but once they start courting individual females, they do it alone.
Give them time though — in a week they’ll be unbearably loud.
cicadas chorusing in Reisterstown/Glyndon MD. definatley m. cassinii and septendecim singing, mabye a few septendeculas. it’s quite amazing to see so many cicadas all at once.
Hi, Dan. Will they be in Solomons, MD? The UConn map says no, but I also see that there are cicada nature walks happening, so thought I would ask.
Sorry, no.
Oh, don’t be sorry! That makes me very happy as I was hoping to have one cicada free weekend. Thanks!
I have a very bad mosquito problem around my yard and want to have them treated. I don’t want to harm or interfere with the Brood X cicada’s that are just now emerging here. The company I am calling uses Pyrethroids, a synthetic version of the Chrysanthemum based Pyrethrin. Will this hurt the cicadas and/or when would it be safe to treat? Also, I host Mason bees. Will this chemical harm them? If this chemical is a problem, what can I safely use as we cannot even go outside between May and October due to the mosquitos.
Pyrethrin kills them. I’ve work Pyrethrin treated clothes in the field to keep deer ticks off me, and cicadas die when they land on Pyrethrin treated clothes.
Hello fellow cicada enthusiasts! My family and I have finally set our cicada trip dates for next weekend. May 27-May 31st. We will be traveling from the DFW area of Texas. We won’t have as much time as originally planned so we want to make the most of the trip with a distance that is manageable. We originally planned to travel to Knoxville, Tennessee. My question is would those of you in that area still recommend a trip to that area the last weekend of May? Or should we plan to visit another area or state? Again advice and recommendations are greatly appreciated.
Cicadas starting to emerge in Western Hunterdon county NJ. Pretty much limited to sunny areas though. Posted some pics on Cicada Safari.
For the last few days, we have been seeing about 40-50 per day in Davidsonville, MD. Located right outside of Annapolis.
There is a few cicadas here in south amboy. Most of them are in my neighbors yard, and there’s not many. I counted 8 nymphs emerging last night in her yard. I brought the nymphs to my yard! Haha they hatched, but the birds saw them and that was it. There’s quite a few holes in her yard as well. Perhaps the numbers has drastically decreased here in the last 17 years. A lot of trees have been cut down on my block.
Report them with the Cicada Safari app.
Verifying Winchester, VA. Youngest and I collected a couple dozen in the span of about ten minutes at Handley High School last night. Reported to Cicada Safari
Great! Thank You!
Cicadas have begun emerging here in Bloomington IN (Monroe Co) the past several days. Hundreds appeared in my back yard last evening, all at once, while I had been seeing holes and chimneys for many weeks. They’re more numerous in some neighborhoods than others, and mine was particularly thick with them the last time.
Holes and sightings (dead adults and a few nymphs) in Bowie, MD! Not a lot, but it’s starting.
We were planning to treat our ground June 7 around 3 buildings in Nelson Co., VA with Termidor to kill carpenter ants, termites and powder post beetles. Will there be cicadas emerging down in that area? I can delay the treatment.
No Brood X cicadas in that area.
Yesterday I watered portions of my yard, partly due the lack of rain but also to see what would happen. The area that was watered had a massive emergence, while the unwatered areas were a trickle. It’s no longer the temps holding them back, but these dry conditions.
Do either of the apps – Cicada Safari or iNaturalist – collect absence data? Otherwise, how do researchers using the app data know if low Brood X sightings are the result of a cicada population problem or simply the result of no one using the app in an area? Thanks very much.
Not that I know of. The cicada mapping teams, led by John Cooley, do.
I have a lot of young trees and shrubs and wondering if I need to protect them with the netting? I am in Chesapeake VA. You think that will be necessary? Will we get the cicadas in Chesapeake?
Chesapeake VA is outside the range of Brood X.
Tons of cicadas in my backyard already for the past couple days. Arlington County, Virginia.
They all seem to be dying almost immediately. Most dont even her a chance to molt. Is this normal? I thought a cicada would live a couple weeks after emerging, not a couple hours.
“Most” is odd. Could be the result of pesticides on the lawn or trees. That said, the first batch is often the most likely to be malformed.
Thanks Dan. Why would the first batch be deformed?
I should mention that I don’t use pesticides in my yard, to rule that out as a cause.
There’s a paper on this topic:
White, JoAnn, Monte Lloyd, and Jerrold H. Zar. “Faulty Eclosion in Crowded Suburban Periodical Cicadas: Populations Out of Control.” Ecology 60, no. 2 (1979): 305-15. Accessed May 16, 2021. doi:10.2307/1937659.
Here’s the abstract:
In a nutshell, the problem is people and what we’ve done to the land. When we tear down forests and fields and replace them with buildings, roads, sidewalks, etc, we’ve reduced the cicadas’ habitat by 90% or more. Less space forces them to live closer together, and as a result, many of them get damaged.
Thanks for the info. That is really sad. And it’s a strange feeling to be afraid of bugs (I’m working on it) and worried about them at the same time. I’ll send in a photo too as I haven’t heard other people reporting a lot of dead cicadas.
Seeing the same thing here in Annandale, VA. We had an emergence of these (off-cycle) a few years ago in the same spot, and almost all were very healthy. Today I see darkened cicadas still trying to emerge and many dead or deformed.
Yesterday (May 14, 2021) we went from none in the morning to hundreds on all the trees and plants by 10 pm. We live in Baltimore City, MD.
Thanks for sharing!
We’ve been seeing holes and chimneys appearing over A large area of west Delaware township,New Jersey. Very excited to witness the emergence again, won’t be long now!😀
Been seeing holes in the yard for a few weeks but now seeing sizable numbers digging up to the surface in Newark Delaware. My 5yo is not amused but I think it’s pretty cool.
Hi, Beth,
My husband and I would love to see the cicadas. We live down near Georgetown DE. Would you be comfortable giving us your location – you could send your info to my email below in a private email. Are they still going strong there?
Thank you,
Sandra and Paul DeGennaro
I live in Newark Delaware and for the last three days there has been hundreds if not thousands of dead one’s all over the sidewalk parking lot cars everywhere I have heard none out loud they must have died as soon as they emerged
I see that TN will have these but I hear on the news that it will be mild in middle TN (Nash, Murfreesboro area’s). Is that true?
I do some holes in my back yard but not anything else and we do not have a lot of tree’s in our subdivision. I tell ya, I am a wreck already!!
Yeah — I see records of them just east of Murfreesboro and north of Nashville looking at the map on this page. Most are out by Knoxville.
There are thousands of holes throughout my yard in Winchester VA, some I can actually see nymphs in. They should be out in a week or so when the temps warm up. So far our weather has been unseasonably cool around here.
Looking at the 14-day forecast for Winchester, if it doesn’t happen on 5/19, it will definitely happen on 5/23.
I am working at a school in Winchester, VA and is filled with holes. Just trying what are we going to with the elementary students when they come out!!!!
Great read. Very detailed & informative. I am planning to visit Great smoky mountains during second week of June. Should it be problem then?
Don’t think so.
Hi, Dan. Another question for you: looking at the sample timeline chart, does “chorusing and wing flicking” mean flying? Trying to get an idea of how long they will be flying around in large numbers. Thanks in advance!
No. Wing flicking is how female cicadas communicate with male cicadas. Magicicada wing flicks.
Thanks for the clarification. So, how long does the flying into everything part last? We’ve seen some out in Upper Marlboro…so far they’re pretty still since it’s been on the chilly side, but the part that really terrifies me is the flying into me, when I have to worry about getting in the car without one flying in. How long should that part last? I have clearly blocked out the timeline from 2004.
The signing part matches up with the flying. Should be 3 weeks of mayhem, starting once the temps get above 75.
Thanks, Dan! One more question: are these early risers an indication of how many we will have? Or to put it another way: if one area is seeing a lot emerging now and another isn’t seeing any yet, is the one with the early cicadas going to have a larger number of them overall? Or could it just be a difference in soil from county to county or neighborhood to neighborhood?
There are lots of factors. Cicadas in sunny areas will emerge first. Cicadas near an underground source of heat, like pipes or basements, will emerge first. Cicadas in moist soil may emerge first. Cicadas trapped under logs or rocks may emerge later.
The overall emergence may take as long as 3 weeks. This is a part of their overall survival strategy, as the first batch is eaten up by animals, allowing the next wave of cicadas to survive. Males generally precede females. The larger Magicicada septendecim usually precede the smaller Magicicada cassini.
Of course, local construction and frequent use of pesticides will kill off the cicada populations. If your neighbor drenches her soil with toxic pesticides, her yard might have none, while yours has many.
Hi, thanks for all the information you post. We are planning a trip to Clark County Indiana the week of May 23rd. Any idea when the cicadas might be showing up there? How long from when they first emerge to when they start singing? Thanks!
It all depends on the weather. Hot weather heats up the soil and brings them to the surface. They should start emerging by then. Not sure about flying and signing. Maybe a little. The next week should be better for that.
Saw the first cicadas on my front porch and trees today in Fairfax VA!
Fairfax — that’s a new one. Thanks for letting us know.
Hi Amanda. I’m here in Centreville, VA & saw some locusts for the first time yesterday, May 11th. I wasn’t expecting them yet because I didn’t see any of them flying around. I was de-thatching my yard with a rake & I kept noticing wings and lots of dead ones. I watered the lawn lightly at the end & I saw at least a dozen crawling through the grass! Some were coming out of a hole in my mulched area.
Does anyone know when the cicadas will start swarming in the Fairfax County area? I was completely traumatized as a child during the last emergence. Bugs of any kind are not my forte….Will Fairfax County, VA and Elkins Park, PA be covered in a blanket of cicadas this time around?
Once we get past the current “cold wave” and into temps in the 80s things should be more interesting. They don’t swarm.
1st shells and 1 adult spotted in wheaton,md
Nice! Lots of sightings in Montgomery county so far.
Cicadas seen this morning in Weaverville, NC!
Nice. I have to add that and Buncombe county to my list!
My tree in front yard covered in hundreds of cicada some just the shells. Don’t see many on any other trees. I live in Middletown, Va.
Hi. This is the first year the kids and I are driving out from CT to see an emergence in PA (and go to Great Wolf Lodge). Thank you for all the great information, including towns of previous years’ sightings. Would you still expect to see significant concentrations around Memorial Day weekend in the Allentown area? Or is that late for an emergence and they are more individually dispersed? Thanks again!
They’re in the Allentown area. Hopefully, the weather warms up and they’re out in force by Memorial day. May’s been cool.
Terrified of all bugs and have a toddler and newborn. Do I flee to the Chicago suburbs or is South Bend Indiana safe?
It looks like South Bend is safe, based on the maps I’ve seen, and the Illinois side is fine. It just gets sketchy south of Gary.
This is my 3rd experience (2 in Bloomington Indiana, and 1 in Falls Church, VA.) This is the first time I am … look forward to seeing them. Last time – for a couple of days – the emergence was so dense that it looked like the ground was moving. I was freaked out. This time – I am hoping to capture that phenomenon on video.
Yorktown Va?
Yorktown Va is too far south.
First adult spotted tonight in Potomac MD
I have a young sapling in Ann Arbor MI that I’m afraid for but have 1/4″ netting to cover in. However, I still have not seen any cicadas. Should I expect them and if so when? Great resource here, thank you for doing this!
In your location probably the last week of May. Once you see a few days in the 80s.
Will they out in Hamilton County, Ohio near Westwood by May 15th? What’s your prediction for that timeline? Graduation parties start then
According to maps from previous years — YES, but the emergence might not be significant by 5/15. It’s early.
dan, i live in vermont and i am planning to roadtrip to see brood X.
what’s your best advice for where we should go and when? we’re looking for shortest drive (yes, we are planning 8 hours at least) and best most awesome cicada experience. festival with cicada foods a plus.
Closest to Vermont is western New Jersey and Princeton. Princeton is a sure-shot, and from there you can venture out using the Cicada Safari app to find other areas where they’re emerging. First week of June should be fine.
Eastern PA will be loaded too (Green Lane Park).
They’ve started coming up here in Knoxville, TN
A few friends have seen them. However, even though I’m living on a plot of heavily wooded land with some trees nearing 30 inches in diameter, I’ve not yet seen any signs of them here save for a single hole I found this morning. What are the chances that they just aren’t on this land even though they’ve been spotted a few miles down the road?
There’s a chance. Sometimes they are simply not in an area. Sometimes the area was treated with chemicals that killed them off. It sounds like your area is the right habitat.
If you don’t have any within the next 3 weeks, you don’t have them.
I’ll keep an eye out and my fingers crossed. Appreciate it!
I want to travel to see these. Will they be close to Cleveland, Ohio?
Cincinnati, not Cleveland.
If you don’t want to travel to Cincinnati there’s usually a ton in Fairfield County. Try the park across from the Fairfield County fairgrounds near high and fair. You can see Mount pleasant while visiting. 🙂
Will we see them in Mineral Bluff Georgia? Fannin County?
Maybe. Looks like they were in Chattahoochee last time around. I think that’s close. You might be too far west.
Are they going to be on OuterBanks, NC?
No for OuterBanks, NC.
Would they be on Outerbanks, NC?
I am trying to get away from them from Northern VA.
No for OuterBanks, NC.
My housing community was built in 1999-2000 in Perry Hall, MD over farm land. I did not move to the neighborhood until 2005. Will we see the cicada this year?
Maybe. If all the original trees were destroyed in 1999-2000, then they might have wiped out your cicada population.
I live in washington pa will we have the swarm of cicadas?
No.
Are they coming out in VA Beach or anywhere near in that area?
No for Virginia Beach.
Is Lawrence county in pa supposed to get hit with the cicadas this summer??
Lawrence Indiana is.
We live in middletown, va (Warren county) just outside of front royal. We just planted a bunch of dogwood trees and a magnolia. Do you see them hitting us? I have yet to see any cicada holes in my soil (I have 10 acres) I am mostly concerned about the new trees.
Middletown, VA appears to be in range. All along RT 81 is. Be prepared.
I live in Washtenaw County, Mi, one of the few spots in Michigan they emerge. My property is said to be on one of the 3 most populated places in the county. Seen em twice- this is one of the most amazingly neat displays of nature I have ever seen, and there are many, I can’t wait for this years emergence. Photo/video ops are many. Odd looking, scratchy when they land on you, totally harmless to people. Can be heard inside, when outside at peak must be within feet of someone else to commmunicate verabally, I mean, are you looking for the next thrilling experience in life, try natural!!
Will the rise in temp in the northern va cause them start digging out this week? Thanks for having this site. Very helpful!
Could be. Sometimes it takes a couple of weeks of hot weather to gradually worm up the soil. But a series of hot days in the 80s or a warm rain can bring them to the surface.
Duh! Brain spasm there. How are my chances in the Manassas, VA area on *Memorial Day* weekend, May 29 through 31?
They’ll be in Manassas then, but I’m not certain how thick. That’s the edge of the brood.
How will it look in Florence, Kentucky? I’m just curious as to what to expect.
They were in Florence in 2004, and I expect them back in 2021.
Thanks! Do you know what the records say about how heavy it was back then?
I don’t have that data. John Cooley over at cicadas.uconn.edu might.
I have the biggest fear of them. Very annoying. When they came last time 17 years ago, we had a lot of them in our own backyard due to the multiple trees around us. We live in Joppa, MD, 21085. We did learn that this area use to be a tree farm, prior to our development being built. Do they call for it to be worse than 17 years ago? We do plan on traveling towards Florida. Any suggestions to where to plan rest stops that have limited numbers of them? Thank you so much for your time
I hate them, can’t stand them and I am so glad they are not supposed to be in my area. I remember them from when I was a child. They gave me nightmares. They covered everything and the noise was horrible.
Dan – two questions. I’m a New England transplant living in Warren County (OH) so I have no experience with cicadas.
Is Mason, OH expected to see a large amount?
How do cicadas do around swimming pools? I am most afraid they are going to ruin my pool pump.
Mason — I’m not sure. I see a record for Hamilton, OH. How close is that?
Pools — yeah, they fall or accidentally fly into pools and clog filters if you don’t skim for them. See a picture.
Hi Dan, Will we have any in Fort Wayne, Indiana? I live on the N.E.side. Thanks!!
They were in Fort Wayne back in 1907, but I don’t see a record since then. So maybe, but a strong probably not.
I’m planning on visiting DC this year to see the cicadas, having been fascinated by them since they were shown in Planet Earth (in fact, given their wide range and comparative ease of finding, it’s entirely possible that the previous Brood Xs were the cicadas featured in the series). I’ll be able to visit anytime after the 15th of May; should they be at their peak around then?
Also, do any normally-secretive animals show themselves in the open to take advantage of the feast? I’m a birder and some of the migrant birds I seek out are rather secretive, but with the prospect of such a large buffet would they emerge out of hiding? And what of other animals?
They absolutely won’t be at their peak in the 15th — unless we get a super heat wave. I’d say closer to June 1st.
Hello- I live in Forsyth County, GA. Will we see Brood X here?
No. Too far south.
Hi Dan,
I hate to repeat what others have already said repeatedly, but,truly I am beyond terrified. I, too, have a great fear of bugs,insects, snakes, and so on. I live in Welch, West Virginia. Are they coming here? I have been told that when they came in years past, they were so thick that it was impossible to even see across your yard or to get into your house or your car without having to repeatedly swat them away, and that it is a given that they will get into your house.
There would be no swatting from me, for I would just drop dead from fear. I also have been told and read in the news that they bring out the Copperheads (which are poisonous), in droves.
I generally do not suffer from claustrophobia, but the entirety of this situation has me roiling with fear and anxiety, because I feel trapped in my house.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.
Linda, I don’t know what to tell you. I can’t relate. I like cicadas. Maybe rely on friends and family to get through this, and maybe skip town for a while.
The snakes thing is meant to scare people and get clicks.I’ve seen the photo in Patch articles. It’s of a copperhead eating a Northern Dusk-Singing Cicada (which are big as mice, more apt big snake food). Me personally, I’ve been studying cicadas now for 25 years — I go out in the middle of the night to photograph them — In over a dozen states — I’ve never seen a single snake. Never.
Thank you, Dan, for such a detailed response, and helping me to stress less.
I appreciate it, and the information about the snakes is good to know, because my one rescue kitty is forever sneaking outside, and I have been worried about her getting killed by a snake, as I am sure she will go after the cicadas.
I was so busy writing my message to you that I forgot to add that Welch, is in McDowell County, West Virginia. I noticed in the information for counties in West Virginia, that McDowell, is not listed. Does that mean we might not get any?
If we do get them, do you think they will be as thick in the air as people from here say?
Thank you, again!
@Linda, no cicadas for McDowell County, West Virginia. They’re only thick around tree canopies.
Thank you, Dan, for the information! I am so relieved!
Hi, what’s the prognosis for Springfield,VA specifically Lake Accotink on May 8th?
They’re in Springfield, though at the southern edge of the Brood. On May 8th some should be emerging, but it shouldn’t be a crazy mess of cicadas flying around and screaming — that comes a little late.
Thanks Dan! Any updates on this for Springfield, VA with the weather warming up recently?
Some should emerge next week, with 3 days in or near the 80s, but things should be in full swing until the week of the ninth.
I live in Grand Rapids MI and I am petrified of anything that fly’s. Should I be worried?
Looking at the research data, it doesn’t look like they’ll be in Grand Rapids.
Hi – what do you think the cicada situation will be like in Chevy Chase, MD on May 23, 2021? And on June 27, 2021? Asking because our outdoor/backyard wedding is currently set for May 23, but we’re considering moving it to June 27. Curious what you think/advise, thanks!
Usually, they’re done being annoying by June 27, 2021. You’ll just have to rake up their corpses.
If the spring is warm/hot they’ll be out by May 23, 2021, and possibly annoying.
Based on how the weather has been, what are your preductions for this year regarding the Cicadas- will we be early, late, or right on schedule compared to previous years?
It’s the same story every time — they’re activated when the soil temperatures reach a consistent 64 Degrees Fahrenheit Eight Inches Deep. “Mother Nature” is all over the place. Guessing, I think they’ll be out in 2 weeks in Georgia, and in 3 weeks around Maryland.
Thank you so much for your intel! When will they be in Hendersonville, NC (Blue Ridge Mountain area) this summer? I don’t like them!
I think you’re OK in that area. Most of them will be in the western corner of the state and then northwest of Winston Salem. For you, fortunately, they aren’t everywhere.
Will there be many in the national mall area of DC? I’m looking to get engagement photos done sometime in May and would hate to have them appear in all the pictures. Would touch advise to delay the photo shoot.
Yes, I believe so. I zoomed in on this map and it looks like the researchers located them exactly at the national mall. They’re less active in the morning or after 5pm, so you might be able to get a “magic hour” shot without much interference.
I believe there is a M. Cassini chorusing in my backyard, just after sunset in Potomac Md.
Listen here:
https://twitter.com/realpotatus/status/1384668530394767361?s=21
I live in Arlington, VA, when will we see cicadas in this area? For how long will they be here?I know they are harmless but I am super scared of them.
As soon as the soil warms to approximately 64 degrees Faranheight. In human terms, once the temps get consistently into the mid 70s-80s.
Hundreds of holes & chimneys in Fairfield Township, OH (Butler County). Trying to keep those chimneys intact while we tend to the yard & landscaping is tough!
Hi I have a extreme phobia of bugs, I just want to know what parts in New York City is going to be exposed by cicadas?
They’re not in New York City, so you’re in luck.
We’re planning a trip to Bethany Beach around Memorial Day. Do you think they’ll make an appearance there?
Not there. 🙂
Hi! I want to plan a trip to try to see the cicadas. I live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas and am wondering what is the best area I should target?
Indiana will not disappoint! Any forested area of the state. I live in Indianapolis and we had millions in our older established neighborhood.
Thank you!! I will start mapping out a route
I live in Dallas too. So sorry we won’t see any of these here. Please post some pictures. ðŸ˜
I sure will
My sister lives in Southern Maryland and some reports say they will have a lot and some say none? I also am in Arnold Maryland will they have a lot?
Arnold has the cicadas. How thick they are in your neighborhood depends on a few factors. If your neighborhood has few trees, lots of new construction, and industry, you won’t have a lot. Some areas that were treated for pesticides, like straying for mosquitos, will have less. Looking at a satellite map of Arnold, it looks like your town is a good habitat for them because there are a lot of trees
Thank you so much. What about southern Maryland some reports say they won’t have any but some say that they have a lot?
Probably varies by location. Zoom in on the map on this page.
I’m in Pikesville MD. My house is 15yrs with large, untouched wooded areas on two sides about a block away. New trees planted when house was built. How far do they travel? Will they stay in the back woods or should I expect swarms to find their way to my yard?
They’ll travel about a football field’s length, but they’re interested in trees, so most will stay around the trees.
Hello! Will they be in Fayetteville NC? I am seeing a lot of holes in the ground that look like the pics i have seen from them. In my backyard nonetheless. TIA!!
Maybe. But there’s no historical record for Fayetteville NC. Let us know what you see.
I am so scared of them coming. What state doesn’t have them so I can go hide. Is their a protective suit I can wear so they don’t get me?
Un-sarcastically, a bee keeper’s outfit? They’ll only fly into you. They don’t bite like wasps, so you don’t have to worry about that.
There is nothing to fear from them. They’re like drunken blobs flying without purpose dawn to dusk. You’ll be fine after dark. The biggest issue is the nonstop noise. The decibels are off the chart!
I should say that they’re most active between 10 am and 5 pm, and not active when it rains. So you can get around at those times with less worry.
I’m planning to travel from WA to witness Brood X. I know nothing is certain, but does Labor Day weekend in the Manassas, VA area look like a good bet?
Labor Day? They’ll be gone by then. Memorial Day? You betcha.
They’ll be around on Memorial Day in all locations except maybe Michigan, and they’ll be gone my Indepenence Day.
I am planning a trip to the great smoky mountains the week of May 22-29 and staying close to pigeon forge. Was wondering if the cicadas will be a problem then.
Thanks!
I don’t think so. Looks like they’ll be north of the Smoky Mountains, towards Knoxville.
Hi, I have a 3 day trip planned in Luray, Virginia. Staying at a cabin and hiking old rag with my two daughters. We are super afraid of cicadas (I was in Rockville, MD in 2004 so I remember that summer vividly).
What are the chances of the 2021 brood x cicadas in the areas in luray and Shenandoah national park in the next two weeks?
Looking at the newer maps, it looks like the cicadas won’t be in Luray, Virginia.
Hi thanks for all the info! I was looking at several maps and my area (Mansfield, Ohio) seems to be on the edge in some or just outside it. We got cicadas in 2016. Do you think we will get any this year? Thanks
Not this year. 2016 was Brood V(5).
Hi. I am super phobic of bugs. I live in Winchester, VA. I was wondering if I’ll see many…
99% certain Winchester will get the cicadas.
To all the Dan’s fans,
On behalf of Dan, I am giving away my cicada comic books (“Cicada: Exotic Views”) free. If you or your friends are in the Washington D.C. area, please come to Lulu Florist, 4801 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, MD. 20814 to pick up one or more books (for you and your family and friends). Have fun.
Regards,
Davy Shian
Very generous of you Davy! For folks interested in the book, learn more about it.
I thought I would share the book rather than selling it because it is interesting, informative, and unique comic book. Other comments I received:
Webmaster of the http://members.fortunecity.com/cicadaman1999/ Lester Wayne Daniels:
“The book is great…What makes the book even better is that it is unique! With all of the books published, style will make it stand out! … It has a soft approach to the insect world and is easy to read for all ages to understand and enjoy! It also brings out the common misconceptions and stereotypes that make you think back and say ‘Hey, I do recall that’ or ‘I’m one of those people.’ … I also hope to see it on a library shelf one of these days.”
Ann Harrington, a neighbor and a Montgomery County MD judge:
“I thought I see you at the house long before now to let you know how much David and I enjoyed your book, so please excuse this tardy response. However, we are not experts about what kids of school age might like, so I asked my sister who teaches at the middle school level (grades 6,7 and 8) in Michigan, to read the book while she was visiting a couple of weeks ago. She really liked it and thought it would be well received by middle school children. She especially loved the style of the illustrations and found them beautifully done in a trendy and popular cartoon style that kids today seem to love. She also enjoyed the message and thought it would get through to kids in that age group, along with the humor.”
Comments from other readers:
– It’s fantastic!
– It’s very impressive.
– It’s really cool! … I’ve left it on my coffee table and everyone who sees it ends up not being able to put it down.
– Very interesting (and unusual).
I am in Anderson, Ohio. Planning on an outdoor grad party june 19th. Can I expect them to still be bad?
I need to know exactly what states will not get these cicadas. So I can go there for the duration. Google tells you only so much. Will any state be CICADA FREE?????00
New England, West of Mississippi.
I need to know exactly what states will not get these cicadas. So I can go there for the duration. Google tells you only so much. Will any state be CICADA FREE????? I HAVE ANXIETY FROM THESE VISITORS!!!!
New England is safe this year. West of the Mississippi river for sure.
Hi Dan, I am super phobic of bugs unfortunately (particularly large ones like cicadas!) – if I wanted to go away to the first weekend of May and make sure that I’m going somewhere they absolutely will not be (not even a few here and there) – would any of the following locations be safe: Ocean City, MD, Fenwick Island, DE, Lake Anna, VA or Charlottesville, VA? Thank you in advance!
@Monica,
Ocean City, MD, Fenwick Island, DE, and Charlottesville, VA are safe bets.
Thank you Dan! One more location question – how safe is St. Michael’s, MD?
It looks OK. Looks like the last time there was a sighting was 1907.
already seeing holes & chimneys as of apr. 8-9th 2021 here in bloomington indiana… wont be long !! ðŸ‰
Hi I was headed to Virginia Beach and wondered if the cicadas will be there in 2021?
In terms of the periodical type, there won’t be any, but the less obvious summertime cicadas will be out in the summer, up in the trees.
Dan,
I live in Canton, Michigan and have some young trees. Should I wrap the trunks with insect barrier tape or aluminum foil? Also, I have alot of hydrangeas, knockout roses and butterfly bushes – do I need to net them?
Thank you
Hmmm… some people recommend the tape, and others recommend netting tree branches to keep the females from laying eggs in the branches. Contact a local arborist for more advice.
Hello from Southern Indiana. I have several questions about tree protection:
1. When protecting trees, does it make sense to wrap the trunk of the tree as well as the branches?
2. If the critical root zone of the tree is covered with an insect barrier, will the cicadas emerge from the ground underneath the barrier and just get trapped underneath or would they turn around and come out past the barrier?
3. What are your thoughts about protecting the critical root zone of the trees with an insect barrier fabric so that the young cicadas have to find older, more mature trees under which to feed and hibernate?
Thanks!
You know what — call your local tree expert/arborist.
We’re planning an outdoor event on May 15 here in Oxford, Pennsylvania. Will we have any cicadas to worry about?
Thank you .
Maybe. Looks like they’re closer to the Susquehanna River. They probably wouldn’t be very active around the 15th anyway.
Hello,
When would the cicadas be active in North Carolina & Tennessee? Will they be active by mid-May?
Thanks!
Starting around then. They’ll probably be most active in the last week of May to the first few weeks of June. They’re only in a few locations in both states.
I am planning a trip away from Dayton, Ohio and want to time it so that I miss the weeks when they are flying around. If they emerge on May 20 (for example), when will they start flying around? How many weeks will they be flying?
Last week of June.
I will be traveling to Washington for 3 days to experience Brood X. I am flexible with my timing, but a little advanced notice would be helpful. I would want to be there during the loud mating time. Any thoughts about a resource to track, and maybe predict, when that time will be? Maybe this site is that resource. Thank you!
Depends on when they come out of the ground, and that depends on the weather. So, I can’t give you an exact date. First week of June should be good though.
Curious when BroodXIII are predicted to emerge and to what intensity in Chicago (Cook County). Growing up in Lake County, IL there was a thick population last time. Thank you for all this info!
I’ve seen a lot of articles lately about cicadas attracting snakes. Should I be concerned about an increase in snakes because of the cicadas? I don’t recall noticing this is 2004, but I really barely went outside. I will probably limit my time outdoors this time as well, but now I have a son who will likely be walking when they emerge and I’m worried.
In 25 years of doing this, I’ve never heard of a snake + Magicicada + human encounter. There’s one photo getting passed around on Patch.com of a Copperhead eating a freshly molted Megatibicen auletes (not a Magicicada). M. auletes are huge — about the size of a mouse.
That said, would a snake eat a cicada? Sure (depending on the species). But everything else will eat them too — Coyotes, Racoons, Opossums, birds. Everything will be out there after them.
Will the number of snakes magically multiply in relation to the number of cicadas, no. It’s going to be the same single snake that’s lived under your porch for the past 3 years.
Would an outdoor graduation party not be advisable at the end of May in southern Ohio?
Depends on the specific location.
Quick question. I live on a backroad in a farm. With that being said, my entire backyard is essentially a forest. Will I see less cicadas in my front yard due to this? I read somewhere they’re attracted to trees and we don’t have MANY in my front yard (a few but not a lot).
They’re parasites of trees, so they’ll always be in the vicinity of trees. So yes, more near the forest than away from it.
Hi Dan. I live in Spotsylvania, Virginia (in a wooded area very close to Lake Anna State Park). And, my grandkids live in Woodbridge, Virginia. Will either of us be invaded by Brood X cicadas?
Probably Woodbridge, Virginia it’s toward the southern end of the Brood in that area. They might have to travel a little north to see them. No to Spotsylvania, Virginia.
Yippee! So grateful to have this wonderful site as a resource.
This is absolutely amazing. What a wonderful resource this is. We are planning a trip to New Paltz, NY may 25. Actually to mohonk mountain house. Should we expect cicadas? It is located innulster county.
Dan, you provide a great service, thanks so much!
No Brood X/Magicicada for New Paltz this year, but Okanagana type cicadas are in the area — but they arrive in small numbers, and are relatively inconspicuous.
I live in Waldorf, MD, will they be in my area?
@Bronte, I don’t think they’re in Waldorf, but are a little north of there, around where 5 splits from 301 and north.
Hi Dan. Will they emerge in Mecklenburg county in Virginia? Thanks for all the useful information.
No Brood X for Mecklenburg county in Virginia.
Well…… I don’t know if the other comment went through, but I took a ride down to Princeton tonight and……I spotted dozens of holes, and even one in its hole. They’re here!!!!!!
Well….. there are dozens of holes in in Marquand park in Princeton NJ….. took a ride down there today and even saw one in its hole! They’re here!!!!!
Hi Dan, thanks for this really informative website! I’m in Montgomery County MD and I’m trying hard to not be here when Brood X will be flying about. I only have a week off and I’m trying to time it for the heaviest activity/most likely to land on someone.
I know it’s all an estimate at this point, but I’d love to get your thoughts on when you think the heaviest activity is most likely to be? Given that the cherry blossoms opened a week early this year, I was thinking cicadas could be flying around the first week of May. Does that sound probable to you?
Also, it seems like the cicada don’t like sandy soil, so I was going to head towards Ocean City, Assateague, Bethany Beach or similar. It seems like they don’t emerge in these places – unless I’m reading the maps wrong?
@Leah, depends on what you don’t like. The creepy-crawly part of the emergence will probably be the last 2 weeks of May, and the screamy, flying everywhere part will be the first 3 weeks of June. The first week of June might be the peak.
There are Broods, like Brood II & XIV, found in sandy areas, but Brood X is away from the shore counties.
Just my observation of 2017 going back trough my photos comparing my mushroom hunting that is very in sync with each individual spring. 2017 was a particularly early arriving spring, probably at least two weeks ahead of where we are now. I first noticed the trees were covered in brood x straggler exoskeletons on may 16th, so they would have been coming up for at least a few days. Probably at 8inches deep the seven day average temps are going to be more important than what is happening now tho. Unless we have a significant heat wave over the next for weeks, I’d expect them to start emerging may 14-20th.
Will they be in potter county, pa? Specifically cherry springs state park? Debating a camping trip there in June. Thanks!
No to Potter county, PA. 🙁
What’s the closest place to Boston to see them?
I’d like to take a weekend trip.
Princeton, NJ.
If we live in a newer subdivision, then years old or so , the dirt has likely been dug up and cicadas disturbed? Does that mean in newer areas there are less or even no cicadas?
Probably less or no cicadas. If your subdivision is next to woods or an old neighborhood with ~34 year old hardwood trees, you might be in luck.
Hello! We will be tent camping in Union county, Georgia, (Vogel State Park) at the end of May. I am equally excited and terrified that we may be tent camping in the middle of a huge cicada emergence! Does anyone know if there was an emergence at Vogel in 2004? If so, will it be unbearable to be outside for 4 days with the cicadas??
I am doing a repost on Garden Rant next week (April 7th) of a previous story I wrote for the Human Flower Project on Brood XIV in 2008. May I have your permission to use your colorful artwork of Brood X 2021? How would you like me to photo credit? I can add a link to this page. Thanks!
Sure. Credit Cicada Mania.
In the Eastern panhandle of WV, we’ve had 60’s and 70’s since the first day of Spring. April is supposed to have above normal temperatures. Any chance brood X could come out as early as April?
There’s a chance. It depends on the weather. If you see leaves on the trees, and the weather is warm enough to heat up the soil they’ll emerge.
Thanks for the info, Dan. You are the man.
Im in California. I studied entomology at CSUS in college. I have a specimen my aunt sent me in 04 from North Carolina. I’ve been waiting for these guys since and would like to take my kids to see them as well. I would love to book a trip now for the dc area for the weekend of the 22nd. Do you think I have a pretty good chance of getting lucky? (Our spring is a few days early in CA this year?) sorry for bugging you😉 and thank you for sharing your wonderful knowledge!
I think you’ll definitely catch the phase where they emerge and molt, but not the crazy screaming mating part. Maybe a little of that.
Will the ones in Northern States be going up to Canada?
No. They don’t travel/migrate. Well… over 10,000 they’ve gotten to where they are now by moving to hardwood trees as they spread. But it wouldn’t happen this year.
This will be an absolute nightmare for those with bug phobias such as myself. My first Brood X exposure was 2004 and I am still traumatized. Maryland, specifically Montgomery County, was the 7th level of Hell for me. As long as you are prepared with an umbrella, rain boots for crunching while walking, long sleeves, pants and now we have face shields and masks from Covid, you can endure. Ladies, put your hair into a tight bun so they don’t get stuck in your long locks. Darn you Universe, for not timing the pandemic quarantine with Brood X. Another spring season down that tubes….
Here’s a 9 minute video I made of the 2004 Brood X hatch out in Maryland.
https://youtu.be/1ylURbzhvN8
Awesome!
Hi Paul, thanks for sharing your video! Where in MD were you? Also, I saw that by June 20th, there were no more cicadas singing. Was that the first day they were silent or did it happen before the 20th? I’m trying to figure out if my wedding on June 26th in Bel Air, MD will be ransacked by cicadas or not!
I’m hoping to leave Columbia MD before it gets too bad. Will may 7th be an adequate time to leave? I don’t see many near the Howard county hospital on the map, but I don’t know the units of measurement in the map to gauge that.
5/7 should be good. Depends on the weather. If we have a HOT spring they could pop sooner. The last time they started around the 11th.
Checking the map, I see little cicada icons in Columbia, MD, but not many or really any for the area in which I live? Is once cicada symbol equal to a few cicadas, or does it equal thousands? Unsure of the units of measurement. I live down the road from the Howard County hospital.
I think it’s a good chance. The cicada icons represent the exact locations where researchers found them in 2004. I had reports from regular people for Columbia in 2004, so I think they’ll be there. If you want more information about the https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_10/ map, contact John Cooley https://cooley.eeb.uconn.edu
I lived in Hickory Ridge in 2004 and they were all over the place, but nowhere near as bad as in Longfellow, where I lived in 1987 where it literally looked like the pictures I’ve seen recently online of 25-30 per square foot. I think that may be accurate for some areas. I am not sure about the timing, but they are crazy loud, so you will hear them coming.
If it’s any consolation, they do not bite or sting, they are just deeply disturbing. I ran from them in a panic when I was 14, and 17 years later I found myself routinely pulling them from my children’s pockets while doing laundry. Life is weird.
Help! I’m trying to find the closest place to Arlington, VA where they aren’t emerging. Some maps place them in Prince William County, some don’t. Some Stafford County residents are telling me they had them in 2004 even if the maps don’t show them there. What about Fredericksburg? I have severe PTSD from 2004 and need to escape to a “safe” area in May/June when they’re out. However, I can’t travel too far during Covid, so I’m hoping I can end up somewhere close enough to easily get a safe ride with a friend, but before I book a place to stay, I need to make sure that it’s located in a cicada-free area.
The VA part of Delmarva. Fredericksburg and south.
As I saw one expert comment, “the cicadas don’t know where the county lines are.” Apparently, some folks in Stafford got them, and some didn’t.
I live just outside of the county seat area, and I haven’t seen any yet. I have chickens, so I was hoping to get some.
If your fear is great enough to justify relocating, I’d pick a place on the far end of whatever county where no maps show them appearing, or even the next county over.
Hi Dan!
Will this brood be in Huron, Ohio?
Nope.
Hi Dan!
My family is visiting Huron, Ohio the 13-16 of June. Will the cicadas be bad there?
Nope!
Learned about this site from Ologies— thanks for all the effort you put into it! We are hoping to experience Brood X this year as insect enthusiasts in Indiana.
My math puts us at May 16 for Greencastle, IN — does that seem right? We are traveling a bit to get there and I would just HATE to miss them!
Could be. It all depends on the weather and how quickly things warm up. The exciting part — when they start chorusing should be in full effect by Memorial Day.
We’re hiking in the Smokies May 815,2021. We’re staying near Gatlinburg. Will brood X be in full bloom during our stay?
They’re closer to Knoxville.
Hi Dan;
It’s Valeri again!! We have had some CHANGE in plans. I believe that SAVANNAH, GA should NOT have any BROOD X. We are having some family issues and that would be a good place to land and we will be able to take care of what we need.
And for a song about the emergence of periodic cicadas (which is a kind of “graduation”, remember Dr Chordate’s song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jmC6gU6LRI&t=133s
Hi Dan,
I hope all is well. Somehow this paper Gene Kritsky, me, and a few others published in the Maryland Entomologist in September 2020 did not make it into the publication list. Maybe you can add it. Thanks, Mike
Combining Data from Citizen Scientists and Weather Stations to Define Emergence
of Periodical Cicadas, Magicicada Davis spp. (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)
Michael J. Raupp, Chris Sargent, Nancy Harding, and Gene Kritsky. The Maryland Entomologist 7(4):31–42
I will add it. Thanks!!
I live in southern Delaware. I’ve looked at many maps, and it seems half indicate we will experience the brood x emergence while the other half indicate we won’t. Has their range expanded since 2004? What is your opinion. I don’t recall a major invasion in 2004.
@Jared,
They were in Delaware in 2004, and I’ll assume the same for 2021. Not the whole state though.
Here are some quotes from 2004:
Is there a way to assess/predict the volume of the emergence? I know the broods can die out over time and I’m curious if another 17 years of urbanization and climate change might have affected things since 2004 (when I saw a huge emergence in Bethesda, Maryland; I’m still in Montgomery County). Does anyone sample the ground ahead of time and see what’s going on? Is there any chance of a bust?
Ask people who were in the area the previous emergence. That’s the best way.
who how
Hello, I have moved to Kentucky within the past few years and never experienced cicadas – I am petrified of bugs. We live in Lexington so I think we are good here, but my in-laws want to do a trip to Dale Hollow in mid May (Clay County KY). Should I prepare to see swarms of them in that area? Thank you in advance!
By the lake? It doesn’t look like it.
Can you recommend any good Cicada cams? I was in Bloomington, IN for the 2004 emergence and totally loved it. To get to experience such a huge natural phenomenon! And it was endlessly fascinating as they went through the different stages. Now I live in Oregon so I’ll miss it and that’s why I’ wondering about Cicada cams. Thank you.
None yet, but stay tuned. If I find one, I’ll post it Maybe a webcam in Princeton NJ, or Mt Saint Joseph University in Cincinnati.
Hi Dan,
I so appreciate all of the wonderful info you collected and shared about these extraordinary creatures. I’m originally from Louisiana and grew up trapping and eating crawfish, which make similar mud chimneys: https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1275 I wonder if there’s an evolutionary connection?
Mack’s earplugs are the best I’ve found for my noisy city. Glad I won’t have loud cicadas here!
I’m in the Williamsburg/Hampton Roads area. I’ve read many different things. Will they be in this area?
Near Busch Gardens? Nope.
I live in Williamsburg/Hampton roads as well, and this site has a past chart that shows the different states that reported sightings, and Hampton Roads was listed under Virginia, but wasnt specific to Williamsburg. :/ guess we will have to wait and see. 🙂
Hi… Will BROOD X be in NC? What cities in NC?
It does NOT seem that BROOD X goes to Florida at all?
No for Florida.
Not a lot in NC, but here’s where they were last time (2004):
North Carolina counties: Cherokee, Surry, Wilkes
North Carolina places: Morganton, Murphy
Thank You SO, SO much
Dan for taking the time to reply and give this information for so many of us. I am thinking of sticking it out in CINCINNATI (will have porch screened in so I can at least step outside the door).
If NOT then we need to find a place to stay in either Orlando or Tampa, FL and plan to head out in 2 weeks.
We are in Sterling, VA a mile off the Potomac River, in Loudoun County. Could you provide any insight as to how badly we will be hit? Thanks.
About as bad as last time. Your best bet it to ask someone who was in the area 17 years prior.
Thanks for curating this website! This will help me take some cicada viewing hikes this year. I sure hope I can find some!
Thanks so much for all the helpful info. I’ve recently moved to PA from Canada and had NO IDEA cicada invasions were a thing. I would have been terrified to wake up to this without a warming.
I remember very well the mass emergence of a brood in the Nashville, TN area in the mid-1980’s. Cicadas everywhere – a truly magical experience, one I have never been fortunate enough to encounter again. Each year, I look forward to learning which brood might appear in my area – Richmond, VA. Looks like Brood X will miss us. Do you have any insight into a future mass emergence in my area? Thanks!
I will be going to the Knoxville zoo this summer will there be alot of them there, I don’t feel confortable with them.
The cicadas will be in Knoxville, so there’s a chance they’ll be at the zoo. Call them up and ask.
Curious about a prediction for Pike / Wayne Counties is Northeast PA and Sullivan County NY (Catskills)? Want to learn how this hatch effect fishing and feeding patterns?
@Paul, no periodicals for Pike, Wayne, or the Catskills this year, but Okanagana cicadas will be out in the spring. If you’re using flies or other baits you could match them. Similar body type, black with orange, beige, or white highlights, and struggle erratically when fall in water.
In the 1980s on Long Island we were having terrible gypsy moth caterpillar problems, and everyone was wrapping their trees with insect tape. That may explain the weak 2004 turnout.
Could be. They also treated the area will pesticides quite a bit.
On my walk today I was thinking the very same thing. Nassau county residents have all started using lawn service over the last 10-15 years. Its a price contest, so those lawn guys use whatever is cheapest. So the pesticides they use are probably the worst you can think of when it comes to soil biology. I imagine 17 years of continuous application of increasingly toxic lawn pesticides have probably killed off whatever population survived 2004 and tried to re-establish itself. Sad.
My fiance and I are having our wedding in Bel Air, MD (Brood X hotspot) on June 26th. We were planning to have an outdoor wedding. What will it be like in terms of cicadas by June 26th? Will they still be around in mass numbers/still singing or is there a good chance they will mostly be gone or dwindling by that point? Would an outdoor wedding be miserable? Thank you!
June 26th should be at the end of the emergence. Make sure the groundskeepers clean up the stinky dead cicada bodies.
Great idea! Will there still be live cicadas swarming around or just the dead bodies mostly? Trying to get a better picture of what to expect for guests
Mostly dead, if not all dead.
I was married June 21 during the 1987 Brood X, no problems at all.
Please forgive me if this has been asked and answered here before… if average temps in April and May trend a little higher than normal, spurring the nymphs to emerge early, and then there is a “cold snap” as often is the case at some point on the east coast of the US in spring, how does that affect them? Are they hearty enough to survive such a thing? Thanks…
Depends on how cold the snap is. If it happens after they emerge, it can kill them. If it happens before they emerge, they’ll just wait a little longer.
Is it possible to update this site to include Canada, or at least Ontario, in terms of what to expect from Brood X 2021?
This type of cicada does not exist in Canada.
Please look at your map, at the part of Ontario located between Michigan and New York which have Brood X.
There will likely be some Brood X here – the cicadas don’t care about international borders, and the soil is warm enough.
Yeah, they don’t care about borders, but rivers, lakes, and, historically, glaciers have prevented their incursion into new lands. There’s no record of them in Canada. They may have been in Canada in the past, but not currently.
Some animal is digging cicada nymphs out of the ground and tearing up the front yard. It seems like it is using the holes the nymphs are making to target them. It’s a real mess right now 🤦â€â™‚ï¸
Do you have raccoons in the area? I have watched them dog up grubs in my lawn and leave little holes.
Yeah. Just evicted one from the attic. Lots of foxes. More and more of the yard is getting torn to shreds now. Probably 300 sq ft of grass has been ripped up. Anywhere the cicada holes appear end up getting shredded.
Hi. I live at the end, country part of Philadelphia,PA and border Bucks and Montgomery counties. At what time of day are these most active? Not looking forward to these at all. Ty.
P.s. how could people enjoy these?
Usually, sunny days between 10 am and 5 pm. Pray for rain.
We are planning a trip to Virginia near Richmond and Roseland about the 5th of July. Will we be in swarm season. Camping. That might Not be cool.
They’ll be dead by July, but you might find their skins or remnants of their corpses.
Living in southeastern VA, specifically the Northern Neck of Virginia along the Chesapeake Bay, will Brood X emerge here in 2021? Thanks!
None for the Northern Neck of Virginia.
I am planning my spring travels and I really want to be in town when Brood X emerges and relive the great experience of 2004. Is there any way of knowing when Cicadas will emerge in Montgomery County, MD this year?
They’ll emerge sometime in May. Unfortunately “when” depends on the weather — how quickly the ground warms up and warms up cicadas. If the emergence is anything like 2004, the cicadas will begin to emerge the second-third week of May, and then start screaming the last week through the third of June. Every emergence is different though — if we have a super-hot Spring, they could emerge in late April. If the weather is consistently dry and hot, they’ll finish their mating activities sooner than later, and we’ll have a short season. If you just want to see & heart them, Memorial Day weekend is a good target.
I have heard there are more in areas with older growth trees, NOT in areas that have had substantial recent building.
That is conceptually correct. But as long as the neighborhood has a physical connection to some woods, and the property has some healthy hardwood trees they can take hold. These cicadas are sun-loving and they do well when they have tall grasses and weeds to molt on, as well as trees. The ideal habitat is one where hardwood trees meet open areas such as a field or stream — because they’ll have trees to parasitize, sunlight, and smaller plants like grasses that are good for molting and feeding on roots for smaller cicadas. If a neighborhood emulates those conditions, they’ll do well. That said, a neighborhood of dozens of acres tract homes where the trees were all raised and replaced with sod and shrubs — that’s a death sentence for cicadas. A deep dark forest is also not great because of a lack of sunlight and smaller plants necessary for their lifecycle.
Hello,
My fiancé and I really want to see this brood emergence! We would be traveling from MN. Where would you recommend we go? Is there any state or national parks you would recommend to visit to experience them?
Thanks!
Coming from Minnesota, the closest, best place will be on the Illinois/Indiana, border. Clark County, Illinois looks like a good bet based on the map on this page. I don’t have a specific recommendation in that area.
A nice place to vacation is Brown County State Park in Indiana. They have very nice cabins and Abe Martin Lodge. Nearby is Bloomington (15-20 min) and Lake Monroe, where I live. A little over 30 minutes away is McCormick’s Creek State Park, which is another beautiful vacation spot.
I live in the upstate area of South Carolina(actually Laurens, about 30-45minutes from NC) and we have had them in the past. I noticed that the map doesn’t have them in our state but had them around us, maybe they have migrated or it’s a different species??? So I am curious to know if they’ll be back this year. And yes, I am positive that they were Cicadas bc I grew up in the Cincinnati Ohio area and know exactly what they look and sound like 😂!!
SC has Brood VI(6) and XIX(19).
I live in Indianapolis close to Eagle Creek Park (lot of trees there) on the northwest side. How bad are the cicadas in Indianapolis (outside of downtown area) or northwest side in general? I’ve read that in Indiana Brood X is worst in south-central Indiana, but I haven’t seen as much on Indianapolis itself.
We lived at Fort Harrison on the east side of Indy in 2004. They were everywhere. It was crazy. I moved to southern Indiana, south of Bloomington, and not sure what to expect now, but I’m looking forward to it.
I live in Murfreesboro, Rutherford County TN right next to Wilson County. Should we expect to see some here? I know this is about Brood X,but will there be others here this year?
There was a sighting in 1988 between Murfreesboro and Woodbury. Other than that, you can look for the less-multitudinous annual cicadas like Neotibicen and Megatibicen. See this list of cicadas for Tennessee.
I have to leave MD when Brood X arrives. Headed to Glen Allen, VA, Richmond suburb. As I read the data, I should be safe there. Do you agree?
Glen Allen, VA is outside the Brood X zone.
Pilot holes showing up in the yard in Maryland
https://twitter.com/realpotatus/status/1370439315088576513?s=21
Is it okay to lightly prune trees before covering them? Is nylon netting from a fabric store okay as long as the openings are less than 1/2 inch in diameter?
Thank you so much,
Terry
I don’t know the answer to the pruning question. If it were me, I’d shoot for a 1/4″ diameter.
Hey there! I’ve seen Southwestern VA listed on some sites stating we will be apart of the 2021 brood x boom, and others we aren’t included. Any clarification that I could get, I’d appreciate!!! Thank you!
This is the map I trust most. Looks like they’re there, but not as dense as the D.C. area.
Hi! You’re amazing for answering all these questions. I was looking at the map and zoomed in and didn’t see anything for the area in Prince Georges County, MD that I am. Specifically landover area. Am I reading that right ?
They’ll be in that county, but mostly on the westside. West of 301.
Hello!! I live in Chicago and am writing some programming for kids through the Garfield Park Conservatory! I’m trying to figure out the likelihood of having a significant population of periodical cicadas within the city. I’ve never lived through one of these events before, so I’m not sure what to expect, just some city-slicker stragglers or a healthy hoarde?? Any guesses or guidance is welcome!
2024 will be the big year for Chicago (Brood XIII). There will be some in southwest Illinois, and more in Indiana. You can talk about the summertime cicadas like Neotibicen and Megatibicen found on this page.
Cecily Cicada , 2021 is out and available on Amazon. Sweet story about a Brood X cicada who emerges to “embrace life at last.” For Agee 2-10. Wonderful way to teach your child about the lifecycle of the 17-year cicadas. Sold 11,000 copies in DC area in 2004. All newly illustrated.
We are planning a trip to Hocking Hills, Ohio in mid May. This is Logan County. Good idea or should we look other places this time around for our hiking experiences?? Lol
I’m here for the same reason… after looking through the info and comments I think we’ll push our trip back to late June or July. Rather be sweating in warmer weather than have the dudes pinging off of us!
Do cicadas like water? We have a pool and I’m wondering how much cleaning we’ll have to do. Also, do they tend to die/burrow abruptly at the same time or is it spread out over the several week period?
They don’t like it, but they’re not geniuses and will fly into the water and drown, or just fall in when they die.
Get ready for this:
In 2017 the yough river was covered with them and the fish were in a feeding frenzy.One of them has as much protien as 15 mayflies.they lay on their backs and flutter and buzz.a big tan beetle works great for trout and bass.
Deep Creek Lake, MD – Garrett County? The map looks strangely empty in the lake area, though they appear to be elsewhere in the county. Could it be true that they will not be in the lake area? Thanks!
This is true.
This is excellent! And I just gotta say, the mouse pointer turning into a Cicada is BRILLIANT!!
Was planning a trip to Deep Creek Lake in Garret County, MD in late May. When I zoom in on the map (https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_10/) it shows not sign of cicadas – can this be true?
Looks like it, but if you want to see/hear them, they’ll be a day trip away.
Please tell me if Pittsburgh, PA is going to get any? I have trauma issues with grasshoppers and to me these are the same. Do I need to get out and go to AZ?
None for Pittsburg this year.
Will they emerge in Graham, NC?
Closer to Elkin NC.
How about Preston County WV? Too far west?
I see at least one data point for Preston County WV, west of Reedsville, but nothing like the massive emergence eastern Maryland will see.
I’m in Great Falls, VA (Fairfax County). Great Falls (nor neighboring McLean) are mentioned on the list for cicadas. Should I assume we will get some since we are next to Reston and Sterling (on the list)? Can I assume maybe a bit fewer than those listed? Also, we did a a lot of landscaping (and tree removal) in the past 5 years. Could that prevent a giant swarm of cicadas at our house? The 2004 experience scarred me – just trying to mentally prepare. 🙂
Zoom in on this map. If you see a cicada icon in your town, you should expect them, but if you’ve removed the trees from your yard, you removed their home, so maybe not. Check with people who lived in your neighborhood 17 years ago.
Will there be any near the Southwestern part of Virginia? I’m in Russell County.
There were sightings in Scott county in 1988 (not sure about 2004). So yes, but maybe not as dense
How long does the “peak” last?
Each emergence event is different, but usually, one to two weeks. The entire event, from the first nymph to having to rake up their corpses will take about 4-6 weeks.
What about Delaware beaches – Rehoboth. Or Ocean City Maryland?
No. Nothing like non-Delmarva Maryland.
What about Poolesville MD May 15th we are having an outdoor event?
They’re probably in the area, but looking at the map on this page it doesn’t seem so dense. That said, May 15th will probably be early in the emergence and not the crazy part,
Are the cicadas coming to Washington Pennsylvania
No for Washington, PA.
I’m in Fairfax County, I was not here in 2004, I was living on Staten Island. I had planned to go to Mt Vernon in late May, will the Cicadas be a big problem at that point or more likely in June? When will they be gone?
George Washington’s Mount Vernon? They can be around anywhere between the last 2 weeks of May and all of June. Just stay away from trees and you’ll be fine.
I know you guys are talking about mostly mid Atlantic states and being from Maryland I remember them all to well. But I have moved to Oakfield Maine, about 20 miles from Canada. I am concerned because I have at least 3 large gardens and some new fruit trees. Are these pesky bugs expected to make an appearance this far north???
@Melanie, Maine has cicadas, but not this type. The type in Maine are solitary, and few in number.
Is there anything i can do to prevent them on my young trees?
Yes. You can use insect barrier tape to keep them from crawling up the trunk in the first place, and then you can put netting over the trees to keep them from flying onto the trees. You can spray them off with a hose. You can manually pick them off. They don’t show up everywhere, so you might get lucky and not get any.
We are considering doing major a planting (including new tress) this spring. Our location is Williamsburg, Virginia. Is there a May-June emergence predicted for this part of Virginia this spring (2021)?
@Deborah — no Brood X cicadas for Williamsburg. Proceed with your planting.
Thank you!
Will they be in the Raleigh North Carolina area?
@Sawyer. No for Raleigh.
Baltimore County is on your list for Maryland. What about Baltimore City?
@Donna, absolutely, but they’ll be in areas where there’s plenty of trees. Zoom in on this map, and you’ll see were they were in 2004.
Thanks
Hello! We had a significant emergence in DuPage County, IL in 2007 (Brood XIII as I understand it), so we’re a few years out yet until they’re due back. But last year we also had a big emergence in pockets around DuPage. Do you think that was XIII coming early, or early Brood X that made their way over here 17 years ago to lay eggs? Are they known to travel after they’ve emerged? Thanks!
@Kelsey, usually when parts of brood emerge early they emerge 4 or 1 year early — 4 in the case Brood XIII last year. There’s a chance, but I don’t think you’ll see many in your area this year.
Hi I just moved to fairfax Va, will they be here ? And if so what does it mean ? I can’t sit outside anymore ? Will everybody stay inside for that time ? My anxiety shots to the roof ! I am super nervous.
Depends on your personality. Most people get used to them after a week or so. The screaming only lasts 3-4 weeks. They usually don’t sing between 5pm and 10am — so you can have fun outside during the evening. For most the worst part is the cleanup.
Will they be in Augusta Georgia? (Richmond County)
No for Augusta Georgia.
That is very unfortunate..
Hi Dan, heading to Rocky Gap, near Cumberland,MD the end of May. Might you have any data on how many might be in that area over memorial day weekend?
@Debbie, they’ll be in the area for sure. Maybe not the exact location you’re going to, but definitely near by.
Hello, the map kinda confuses me, I live in South Bend, Indiana which is on the border with Michigan. It doesn’t show a Ciqada icon but does the “X” and circle. Does that mean they will show up here? Thank you.
The blue ones are records from 1923, and need to be verified. The gold ones are from 1987. The “cicada” icons are from 2004, I believe.
Hello. I am thinking of taking a vacation to Earleville, MD in May…am I safe? Thanks.
Hmmm… Earlville is in Cecil count, and Brood X is in Cecil county. Check this map. If you go in early May, they shouldn’t be an issue.
Why do the periodical cicada sonly emerge in certain states/places? I’m in Mn
Might need a book’s worth of writing to answer that, but… Imagine back 12-10K years when much of North America was covered with glaciers. At that point, the cicadas were likely in what is now the southern United States & Mexico. As glaciers melted and the climate warmed, the trees cicadas are parasites of started to spread from the south to north, and the cicadas moved with them. But glaciers didn’t melt off everywhere at the same time, and the trees didn’t spread everywhere evenly. That’s why cicadas are where they are, but why are there different broods, and why don’t they all emerge every 13 years (as they do the in mostly in the south) and 17 years as they do (mostly in the north)? These cicadas can vary the number of years they stay under ground. While most will stick to their 13 or 17 year cycles, occasionally a large, sustainable group will emerge 4 years early or 4 years late, and they can break off to form a new brood. This could be in response to climate, over-crowding, maybe signals of drought or flood that they receive from the trees they drink from. Something signals them to either wait or emerge early — either “decision” could result in the successful development of a new Brood, while the rest of the parent brood might emerge and perish.
To sum it up: where they are is mostly due to where and how quickly their host trees spread once the climate warmed and glaciers retreated. The fact that there are different Broods and they don’t all emerge at the same time has to do with their ability to break off to form new broods by varying their lifecycle by a factor of four years, probably due to climactic signals they get from their host trees.
I need a time machine to check for sure.
We recently moved to Clemmons, NC. Will they come here? (My husband’s a musician with a home studio – I told him, to be safe, he better record his guitar tracks before May!) 😳
@Rebecca, looks like there’s a cluster by Wilkesboro (zoom in on this map). Just to be safe he could record up to early May, or July when they’re gone.
I will tell him. Thank you!
And he could record the cicadas’ wild singing and use it on some tracks. I just read that it tends to be around 1.7 kHZ, which translates to the pitch A, an octave plus a sixth above middle C. Might be a great drone.
Hello will they be in New York City this year? How about Ann Arbor?
Hi, not in NYC — they’ll be in Staten Island in 2030 (Brood II). They should be in Ann Arbor county,
They came out in Virginia in 2020.
I’m in Upper Marlboro, MD. In 2004, I was in Fairfax, VA and it was awful. I know I’m still in range according to the map, but it appears I’m closer to the outskirts. Any chance it’ll be less severe in Upper Marlboro than in Fairfax?
@Jessica, zooming in on this map, it looks like they’ll be in the area, but not as intense based on the lack of data points in the area.
What about fayette city PA and bentleyville PA?
@George, no for Bentleyville PA.
what about fayette city?
Pennsylvania? Not this year.
Hi,
I’m hoping to visit Howard County MD to see the Cicadas this year (2021) – what is the best time to see them in their full glory?
Thanks!
My daughter is getting married in Friendsville MD on June 12 (outside). Will we have a horrible problem with the cicadas?
Friendsville MD is just west of the Brood. You should be OK. Looking at this map.
we live in Ohio…near the Pennsylvania border (Columbiana County) ..will the cicada’s hit here?
@Penny, no you are safe.
Thank you for the helpful information.I am very concerned abouy my daughters graduation party this year with a pandemic…all we have is the outdoors. Is there any way to yell how the North Olmsted Ohio area looks? Thanks so much
@Jennifer, no cicadas in your area this year.
I’m going to visit Brentwood, Tennessee this year in late May, will they be in that area?
@Sara, zooming in on this map, looks like they’re on the north-east side of Nashville if anything.
Hello! I live in louisiana and it’s always been on my bucket list to see the cicadas swarm. When and where would you suggest be the best place to visit?
@Luke, I think northern Kentucky/southern Indiana would be closest to you. Take a look at this map. Cincinnati isn’t bad. Princeton, NJ is good too. I think Maryland has the most.
I lived in Bloomington, Indiana in 2004 and it was wonderful. I lived in a neighborhood with lots of big old trees, and worked on campus. They were everywhere and I loved experiencing their whole life cycle. Also, Brown County State Park is near there, and McCormicks Creek State Park, with nice places to stay. Have a great time, it is SO worthwhile!
Hi. Will there be any of these cicadas in Middlesex county NJ or East Brunswick Nj? Also are these cicadas dangerous at all? Thanks.
@Anonymous. There’s be some sightings here and there in Middlesex county, but, if anything they’ll be down in the south-western end by Princeton. They’re not dangerous — they aren’t venomous like bees, or poisonous. They’re a chance that they could cause an accident, like if you slipped on one.
Hi there, we are planning a trip to Shenandoah NP in early April. It seems like we should be able to avoid them at this early time right?
@Emily, Looking at the maps, it looks like the won’t be in the park.
Hello
Will they be in middle TN this year? Nashville?
They’ll be in the area, looking at this map, more north-east of the city.
Hi! I have an outdoor wedding planned this May, 22 in Bluemont, Virginia. Looking at the map, it looks like the area is not too affected. Could you please confirm? Trying to figure out if I need to move the wedding indoors, get a tent with walls, etc. Thank you so much!
It’s close. Look at this map. Too close to call. Stay away from trees,
Saw one map that indicated Essex County NJ in the range, but not listed as a county that had the 2004 outbreak. Would be interested in your opinion of going to get into the County as planning to plant a lot of trees in the spring..
Andrew, Essex is totally safe. Feel free to plant.
Hi, In 2004 there were many many in Montclair NJ especially Upper Montclair which is Essex County so I am confused with your saying Essex is safe in 2021? Local papers are preparing us. I believe I am right about it being 2004. They were everywhere!
Also what about Columbia County NY – I am going to an outdoor only wedding there June 6th and that seems like it is going to be bad there.
I have a horrific phobia of them after having walked home from school when I was young and was literally covered with them and had no warning, no idea what they were! Please advise. Thank you
@Shelly, that’s interesting. I know Brood II (1996,2013 last 2 emergences) is in Montclair, and Essex county, but I had not heard of Brood X/2004 there. Very interesting.
Will there be any cicadas in Urbana, Maryland? Urbana is a city in Frederick
Looks like Urbana is in range.
In the minority here I know but we would love to have a full cicada experience learning and witnessing with a biologist. Son lives in Michigan and we are in Atlanta. We’d like to meet half way or at least in between Memorial Day weekend. Any suggestions
Will they come to Forestville Maryland or District Heights Maryland?
Looks like they are in range.
I live in Montoursville PA in Lycoming County …. this is my first year dealing with these ones … Nack in 1980 on Staten Island NY I went on my little sister class trip with her at a park and we were being swarmed by Cicadas… up till that moment I had never heard of them. My question is how bad will it be by me this year, getting a bit nervous and wondering if I should go visit my sister in AZ durning that time ??
Oh please say it is not so ! I have never enjoyed these horrible bugs. In Virginia can you tell me do they appear to skip the Culpeper area this time?
Yeah, I don’t think they can ‘skip’. If you have them in 2004 and you’ll have them again. The biggest misnomer I see is that most folks don’t know which Brood they have and for a state like Tennessee, every time there’s a cicada watch, everyone freaks out becaus of the 4 or 5 emergences we experience across the state.
Brood X is a large emergence that covers parts of VA. Get your ear plugs ready this May.
Why do they not appear in South Carolina?
Brood XIX, a different brood, appears in South Carolina. They will emerge in 2024.
Why aren’t they coming to South Carolina?
@Peggy, Brood X does not exist in South Carolina. It simply does not exist in SC A different Brood, Brood XIX (19) does, and they’ll emerge in 2024.
our BIG controversy, do they kill trees one site says yes branches and after attaching to the roots the to feed and hibernate, and they love cherry and pear trees, any help out there.
@Dina, it depends on the species, but these Magicicada species harm trees by killing branches when they lay their eggs. If enough branches die, the tree dies. I’m talking about the weak species, mostly non-natives like pears and cherries. Strong North American species like Oaks and Maples handle them well. Again, it’s more about the branches than the roots.
The trees don’t die. They lose some of the outer branch tips where the wood is thin and twiggy. Main branches do not die, nor does the entire tree. The damaged ends will fall off or be pruned off and next spring the tree grows more branches. The female lays eggs in the wood under the bark. Doing so does damage the wood and weakens the structure. If the branch is very thin, and they prefer new growth to old branches, it will die off and break away at the point the eggs were laid.
Will Northern Dayton, Ohio get them?
@Josh, yes it should — maybe not as much as Southern Dayton.
I’m in Southern Wayne county in PA, will we be part of the action?
@Dee, it doesn’t look like it based on previous emergences.
We live in Baltimore County, Maryland and are having a large amount of our yard dug up for new hardscape and landscaping from mid-April to early May. The lawn will be completely re-sodded or re-seeded and a vast amount of soil will be turned up to create a tiered garden across the entire width of our backyard. What impact might that have on the emergence of the cicadas?
@Cindy, probably not good for cicadas. Depends on how deep you’re digging — they might be able to retreat down their tunnels, and then dig out again.
We are planning a Barn Wedding in Smithfield Ky (off of 1-71 near LaGrange Ky/Oldham Co) for June 12, 2021. The actual event area does not have many trees since it around two lakes. However, the farm has plenty of trees in view. Do you think cicadas in that area at that time will present a problem with an outdoor wedding? Now is the time to change plans if needed:)
@Kim, you’ll probably hear them, but as long as you’re 200 feet away from trees, you should be fine. You don’t want to be underneath the tree.
Living in Indianapolis, IN, I know I can expect Brood X emergence in May. Thought that occurred to me, though – they swarmed particularly on an evergreen tree in my front yard which has since died and been removed, Is that going to change the characteristics of their behavior in my neighborhood, and if so, how?
@MSG Bob, they’ll likely gravitate to other parts of the neighborhood that still have trees. I’ve seen cicadas emerge where their host trees died or were removed.
We live in North Central WV, near Clarksburg. Do you feel they will be in similar numbers as Eastern WV this 2021 Spring/Summer? We were debating whether to plant fruit trees this spring…. Should we wait to Fall? Thank you
@Steve, Checking the maps, it looks like you’ll be free of Periodical cicadas this year. Brood X is in the eastern portion of WV. That said, if you wish to err on the side of caution, Periodical cicadas are typically done doing their thing by July 1st.
I live in Cincinnati, OH and I remember these aliens from the last 17 year cycle.
Take this advice as u wish…Football helmet bad idea, Tennis racket, life saver!
Also Ear plugs are great to keep the screams of these spawns of satan from deafining ur day!
I’m with you Chris! I’m dreading the down if Satan In Cincinnati too! Wish we could escape!
I’m in British Columbia, Canada I was wondering if its possible cicadas coukd make there way this way and what kind of environmental impacts could they present, also on a side note is it at all possible to keep them as pets.
@Cam, British Columbia has 12 species of cicadas. Cicadas, at least those in North America, don’t invade areas outside of their preferred environment, unlike other insects like lantern flies. Most North American species do not pose a problem for agriculture or plants in general, so no worries there. You can keep them as a pet in their adult form, but they don’t live long, so they won’t be much fun.
I plan to leave the State. If I could leave for the whole 4 weeks I would. Terrified. Wish I could join the ranks of those who think it is cool. Crunching as my dad and I walked in 1970 did it for me. Just awful.
I have seen them emerge for the ground, climb the trees and come out of their skins though, in VA. None were flying so it was ok, and pretty cool. Maybe I could just build a bubble around myself for the 4 weeks. Since I can’t, it’ll be the treadmill for me.
I live in Cincinnati. Will this brood mostly be on trees or swarming constantly in the open air as well? I hate them!
Swarming near trees and on trees.
I am from Florence, KY. I don’t ever remember them doing any more than staying around the trees. I never saw them on cars, ground, walls, only heard them in the trees. This is my second 17Y brood
We live in Cruso,NC in Haywood County. We’re about 4,000′ up. Should we expect them here?
Probably not. There’s some random sightings closer to Asheville, and a decent cluster around Elkin.
How about Burnsville NC. We have grafted new apple trees.
There’s a few sightings around Yancy county, looking at this map, but it doesn’t see that dense. Ask someone who lived in the area 17 years ago.
As someone who lived in Baltimore, and then DC for the 1987/2004 emergences, I was and still am quite traumatized from the experience.
I now live in Philadelphia. My memory recalls a visit to Philly in 2004 during the emergence, and there were none apparent there.
Might I get lucky this year? SE Pennsylvania is marked as a location on the brood x maps I’ve seen, but maybe the city proper doesn’t get many?
Please give me some hope!
I survived the last appearance, barely! Honestly, it gave me nightmares. When I walked my dog, it was like being in a horror movie! I want to go away for 4 weeks. Considering Chicago. Please advise on when to be away! Should I leave in the beginning, or leave in June and plan to stay away that whole month? Advice appreciated. Karen L.
Since they are activated by temperature, it will depend on the weather, but the last week of May and first two weeks of June will be the most intense.
How rare are the blue eyed cicadas. I found one during the early emergence in 2017.
https://twitter.com/realpotatus/status/1359724437638103042?s=21
About 1 in 10,000.
Thanks. One behavior I noticed in 2004, but I can’t seem to find any video documenting is how all the cicacda in a tree will sing in unison and then when the cycle was done, every single individual would hop to another branch. Is there any video of this I can show my friends?
We are trying to plan a fly fishing trip around the hatch. We hope to fish the Holston, maybe around Bristol area. What dates would you suggest? We are coming from as far away as Colorado and are looking for informed predictions. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
How is it possible all the counties around me in Maryland are listed but not Frederick County? I live in zip code 21754. I realize they will not be too far to find near me if this is true?
It’s totally impossible.
We planned on going camping at the Kentucky Horsepark the third week in May. Will the cicadas emerge there?
Near Lexington? The cicadas are closer to Fort Knox and Louisville.
My sons were fascinated by them the last time they appeared. One even wrote a college application essay about them. But the best part was that our 9-inch leopard gecko loved them and we didn’t have to buy food for her for a month. She’s 23.5 years old now — geriatric for her species — and I’m really hoping she survives at least through May so she can enjoy them one more time.
That’s neat! Post a picture!
I remember 2004 in loudoun county was crazy! I was restoring an old early 1800s house. I was down to painting it and the cicadas were everywhere. They would land in the wet paint. They also made fishing terrible that year. Fish were full of them and wouldn’t bite anything else. This year I’m in Shenandoah County. We had a brood hatch in 13 I believe it was. Now I’m looking forward to this one to compare.
Please help! I am actually phobic over wings so you can imagine what happens. I live in Northern Virginia and need to escape as soon as my dog begins scratching the ground. Clarksburg, MD is not listed. Does that mean it will not play host to Brood X this year. Failing that, how far do the dog and I have to drive to get away from them? I’m not kidding about this. I’ve had anxiety since last year just thinking about it. Thank you for any advice you can give me.
I was looking at another map, on one on this page and Clarksburg is in range. How far to get away? Most of Virginia is clear, and is most of Delmarva.
Susan, I hear ya. Just moved to KY from CA. I’m terrified-never experienced them and never want to.
It can be a little freaky when they first emerge, but honestly you get used to them after awhile. I was 20 the last time they emerged and I remember one landing on my pants leg the first week and I freaked and made my boyfriend get it off. By the second week, I just brushed them off if they were near me.
I live in Northeast Arkansas.
1. Trying to locate the closest point to my home to see a good gathering, probably in Eastern Tennessee or Eastern Kentucky. We want to take our grandchildren to see this phenomenon.
2. Will there ever be a brood in Northeast Arkansas, or do all broods emerge in the same areas shown on your map? Around here, I’ve never seen more than the occasional dried out shell or two on a tree.
I think Mclean county Kentucky is the closest to you. Look at this map.
I live near Lake Erie, Rollercoaster capital aka Cedar Point, and we get mayflies that cover whole streets, cars and lots. They come up on weather radar like a tropical storm would. I believe I’ve seen these red eyed Cicada’s before. I use to hang their shells on my shirt as a kid every summer.
The Red Eyes, big bug hitting the windshield descriptions on here surely reminds of West Virginia St Mary’s/Ohio River area “Moth Man.” I read that an emergence a couple of years ago in Las Vegas of cousin grasshoppers had Evel Pie, a pizza place, putting them on the menu as a topping with lime, etc.
I like that! Point Pleasant, WV, where the Mothman Museum is, is in Brood XIV territory. Some of Brood XIV may emerge early this year.
Wondering if you could suggest the best area to travel to see the most Brood X cicadas? And also which week might be the best to consider traveling? I’m hoping to book an Airbnb (or find a campsite) soonish. I’m so excited!
The Princeton NJ area was good for me in 2004.
Howard County in Maryland always comes through. This will be our third emergence. In 2004 you could hear the emergence progress through our neighborhood.
I have to add that as they decompose I find their odor pretty gross.
I agree! They smell like rotting bacon.
We moved to HoCo in 2009 so this will be my first experience. I have heard stories though. I think I’ll just keep reminding myself that it’s good they don’t bite… gulp.
Hi,
We moved to Columbia in 1998. I remember these Cicadas pretty well. Our back yard was blanketed by them. I don’t know why, but they marched steadily toward our back door (well, the wall) – a sliding glass door. It looked like something from a Science Fiction B movie. I knew nothing about them before 2004. It was a scary sight, but I stopped worrying when I found out more about them.
Our dog decided they were tasty snacks and he was too fast at grabbing them when they were flying. He was a 25 lb rat terrier (the “Giant” rat terrier size). There was conflicting info about whether to allow your pets to eat them. They’re not harmful although you should never let a dog feast on something. [One or two grapes are fine, but some dogs at a vineyard ate a lot and it killed them.] Rat terriers have kind of narrow necks so the only issue is swallowing them, because he didn’t really munch on them, just grab and swallow. It was fine except for one time when, I think, one of the Cicadas must have moved at the back of his throat (or toward the top of his esophagus). He just looked puzzled and briefly uncomfortable, but all went well. It did not at all deter him from going after more. So, with smaller dogs you might want to be careful. I don’t know about cats; I’m sure they’ll enjoy chasing them, but cats don’t usually swallow stuff whole and they don’t always eat what the play with.
Ann Arbor is great if you’ll be in Michigan. Based on what I saw (and heard!) in 1987 and 2004, I’d say that the epicenter of cicada activity was Domino’s Farms on the northeast side of the city. There’s been some development out there but the site retains a good mixture of open and forested land. Our Brood X buddies appeared in very early June 2004.
They were crazy around Knoxville in 2004, so hoping for the same this time.
There were tons of cicadas in the PG County region of MD last time around. There’s a great campground (tents, RVS, cabins) in PG County called Cherry Hill Park. Full of cicadas last time around; we’ll see what happens this year!
How long do they last? I live in Seymour Tn it’s not the amount that will bother me it’s the crunch if I step on them will they emerge here?
About 4 weeks.
Lol. Same here in Knoxville. When they hit the windshield is the worst.
I remember in 2004, my company had tickets for a Detroit Tigers baseball game. Suddenly a dark cloud approached. CACADAS!! THOUSANDS!! We ran screaming from our seats back to our bus. They were everywhere & on everyone! That was the end of our outing! To top it off, I live near Ann Arbor, Michigan where they are due to arrive this year!
Will we see the Brood X 2021 cicada in and around chicago, IL?
@Marion, no Brood X for Chicago, but you’ll get Brood XIII in 3 years.
I wish I could find glory in these things like some of the commenters here. But I lived smack dab in the thick of it last go round and that was quite enough for a lifetime. This year I’m “bugging out” to the land of far, far away until it’s all over. Egads!
Where is the best place to find cicadas? Like what states/counties would have some of the largest concentrations?
Princeton, NJ. Cincinnati, OH. Everywhere between D.C. and Baltimore. The best places are usually suburbs with old trees and parks — places with trees, places where trees meet fields. Usually not downtown cities, or suburbs where all the trees were ripped out to make tract homes, condos, or McMansions.
Do they swarm around people like gnats do?
@Linda, not usually unless you use lawn equipment or power tools. The sound these tools make reminds the cicadas of their own songs, and so they’re attracted to them. I recommend mowing the lawn before 10 am or after 5 pm.
I have been dreading this May for this emergence since my youth 17 years ago. Really hoping Davidson county (Nashville, TN) does not see many. We border Wilson county and I’m sure we will see some around but this is my nightmare!!! I know they don’t bite or sting but it’s the amount that will be flying around that gives me the anxiety.
@Chelsie, Nashville has Broods XIX (19), which will arrive in 3 years, and XIV (14) which will arrive in 4. So, you’re lucky this year and have 3 years to prepair.
How about Crawford county pa Love the sound of them and how unique they are..
@Joey, nothing for Crawford this year. The closest is Brood VIII which won’t be around for a while.
Do they bite or sting?
@S, no they pierce and suck read this. Sometimes they pierce people’s skin because they’re thirsty and think you might be a plant. Unlink grasshoppers or caterpillars which have mouthparts for cutting & chewing, wasps that have stingers for paralyzing prey, or mosquitos that have mouthparts for drinking blood — cicadas mouthparts are for drinking fluids from plants. So they might pierce your skin, but they’re just thinking you’re a plant and taking a drink. Nothing malicious.
Oh, ok. That sounds pleasant! I think I’ll be moving to Vermont now!
I’m in St. Clair county Michigan & I sure hope they make it to my area. I love the sound! Heard them when I lived in Ohio. Fell in love!!!
2004 here in Hillsdale County, MI was very noisy. I love the noise at night. It hums me to sleep.
I’m pulling my hair out of my head because I’m so interested to know if Brood X exists in South Amboy which is in Middlesex county NJ. From what I’m seeing, a minor population was recorded in western Middlesex county, closer to Princeton. We all know they’re gonna be in Princeton this year, but my town is not too far away from a minor emergence that was recorded (according to one map at least) in 2004. Either way, I cant wait any longer to see them! lol.
I doubt it, but you can always look and listen for them.
@Cameron, looking at the map Chris Simon posted on Tiwtter, there might be some spots closer to you.
Thanks Dan. The new cicada website by John Cooley works wonders for me! I see there were two populations in middlesex county near Edison and East Brunswick. Thanks.
I live in Old Bridge NJ for 42 years & have seen the emerge twice over the years. South Amboy is right around the corner! You might get lucky.
Wow! Thanks so much! But the emergence you saw could have been brood II? I think brood X gets very close to Brood II range. But, We’ll see! I hope so!
Are we likely to see or hear Brood X cicadas on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain?
Unfortunately, no.
I just found out about the Brood X emergence yesterday. There is a wood lot north of Ann Arbor MI that has them. My wife and I bike past them on a route we call the “cicada run” in their honor. We will certainly be listening for them.
Could their arrival and existence benefit our ecosystem more than we are willing to consider? There is a reason they keep coming back, beyond their ability to avoid predator evolution. Should we be helping these cicadas, to maybe allow them to surface more frequently?
I really want to see the broods this year but I’m not sure how I’ll convince my family to see a bunch of bugs. Are there any cool places such as national parks that are having emerging broods this year?
There are some parks listed on the page. Not sure if they’re national or state parks. Periodical cicadas thrive in areas where forests have lush undergrowth, where forests meet open fields and residential areas with lots of trees and grass lawns. So, small parks are often the best place to find and observe them.
In Northern Virginia here and I am soooo excited for these little guys! One of the very few buggies I find adorable!
I guess this is the first time I’ll really notice them in Suffolk County. I’m usually in NYC
@Sara, sadly Brood X light be extinct in Long Island. The emergence was very light in 2004, and they might not have survived predators. New Jersey will have them if you’re willing to travel.
My house (western Essex county New Jersey) hosted a massive brood (i believe it was Brood II) in 2013, which won’t return for another 9 years. I see that Brood X is expected in spring 2021, not here, but in Morristown, which is not too far away. As I’d be traveling about 15 minutes to witness the emergence, etc., I was wondering if there are specific, recommended locations where I could go. It’s far easier to open the door and walk into the yard. Are you aware of where I might go. Thanks!
Don’t bother with Morristown. Go to Princeton.
Thanks. That’s closer to an hour away so it’s not as easy.
Frederick County Maryland is not on your list and we are right smack in the middle Maryland, in between Montgomery and Washington counties.
I lived in Frederick Maryland in the late 70’s during a big brood year! It’s the reason these things still freak me out at 53!
I was just checking in on this from Frederick! I’m originally from Augusta, Georgia, and was wondering what to expect around here. I thought the omission of Frederick from that list was odd, too!
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No. The latest news usually ends up on the blog part of the site https://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/
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@Marry Warren why are they interesting. Um thwy creep me out. They r evereywhere!!! I AM NOT A FAN
Some Brood X “stragglers” emerged early in 2020. See where on the map below (Green):
lordville ny ,delaware cnty, spring 1987, massive infestation,
We are witnessing many Pharaoh cicadas emerging on our property in West Chicago, IL (Dupage County) in the last few days. The casings are plentiful attached to all different kinds of plants in the flower beds. This morning I witnessed adults waiting on different leaf stems. By late morning they had flown into the tree canopy. One we watched from an early stage of shedding, dangling as it turned from light colored to it’s full dark color. Amazing! As I’m reading, I’m thinking this is Brood X emerging a year early? Wow I can’t imagine how many to expect next year if this is just “some” and most will come next year!
Cicadas are everywhere here in Ivanhoe, VA! Tons of shells clinging to trees, flowers, and scattered on the ground. The ground is covered with holes. I’ve never witnessed this before so it’s really interesting. In eastern NC, we only saw the empty shells (which terrified me) when I was growing up. I am now seeing them actually emerging from the shell and looking like that can’t possibly develop those wings and fly. They are incredible!
Spotted a shell on the tree, smaller than the regular shells. Sterling Va. Arise My Minions and smite the eardrums of the unworthy!
Periodical cicada spotted this morning in Vienna, VA. Early Brood X riser? Ive not seen any nymph exoskeleton. This was clearly an adult.
@Jose, yes, that is Brood X territory.
I remember going to outdoor Easter services in Springfield VA in what must have been 1970 when I was 12. You could not hear anything for the noise of the cicadas but I thought it was amazing. When we walked around in our back yard in the Franconia area, we stepped on deep piles of husks. It was a memorable thing.
My son and I were both born during Brood X peaks, 34 years apart, 1970 and 2004. Him on May 28 and me on May 29. So I have these cicadas indelibly associated with mine and his birthday.
He will be 17 on the next one, next year! I, on the other hand, will be much, much older.
Just thought I’d mention it.
I’ll always remember when they’ll be back too. I was very pregnant with my middle son the last time they were here. It doesn’t seem like it’s been almost 17yrs though. My son will be 17 next year on June 15th.
Dan, do you believe that 2021 will still be the larger year for this brood in Northern Virginia?
I still have very fond memories of this brood in 2004 (My Puppy JRT loved it, she even gently carried one around and set it down again before it flew off), and interestingly enough they were my first true cicada encounter as a little kid around here as well!
Thanks.
I love cicadas and look forward to their arrival. They are a gentle, misunderstood bug and they are short living. I do understand the destruction they cause but they too have a purpose. B some wildlife will have a feast day. Their whimsical sound is short lived. Relish their beauty and gentleness. Be kind
To live underground for 17 years, then emerge into the light and air to love and die reminds me of a Greek tragedy, a sad fate. I love cicadas too.
Hey not sure if you got the other message I sent to you… but I have two questions. Do you think Brood X stragglers will emerge a year early in Princeton NJ? Also, what brood do you think the reports coming from Augusta GA are from? Thanks.
@Cameron. Some X should emerge in Princeton this year. Probably not as big as 3 years ago. August is X.
Thanks Dan! If I see any in Princeton I will report it to cicada safari this year. I hope there will be cause we can’t travel out of state. lol