This year, two independent cicada broods will emerge at the same time, which hasn’t happened in 221 years and won’t happen again until 2245. Seventeen states will see “trillions” of Brood XIII and Brood XIX cicadas later this spring and early summer.
If you’re fearing an approaching invasion, you might imagine a yard filled with dead carcasses and never-ending noise. But are cicadas detrimental to you? All your questions answered:
Do cicadas bite?
Cicadas cannot bite because they lack the necessary mouthparts. Instead, they use a long, straw-like tube to extract fluids from trees.
Are cicadas dangerous for humans or pets?
Cicadas, while annoying, are not dangerous to humans or pets. There is no need to worry about your dog or cat eating fallen cicadas. Many wildlife species will benefit from the additional protein.
They may also benefit your plants, as cicadas’ decomposing bodies contain a lot of nitrogen, making them good fertilizer.
Can cicadas damage the plants?
Female cicadas use a saw-like appendage to lay eggs on small trees, causing branch damage, which is a source of concern. This causes “natural pruning” and you may notice “flagging,” or regions of withered and wilted leaves. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends covering young tree branches with netting.
Can cicadas’ buzzing noise cause hearing damage?
The only danger may be to your sanity: cicadas emit a buzzing noise that can be as loud as a lawnmower, about 100 decibels. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration‘s legal limit for workplace noise levels is 90 decibels over eight hours, which is the length of the normal workday in the United States.
However, cicadas are unlikely to cause hearing damage in the average American, who likely isn’t getting close enough or stays around them long enough to experience severe consequences.
Nonetheless, the loudness might create anxiety or pain, particularly in people with acute sensitivity.
When do cicadas appear in 2024?
The two cicada broods will emerge beginning in mid-May and finishing in late June. If the weather is persistently warm and dry, cicadas will stop mating earlier, resulting in a shorter season. Their usual lifespan is four to six weeks, and they begin to die off in late June.
Expect cicadas in the following states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Wisconsin
- Virginia