Cicada Mania: U.S. Awaits the Largest Insect Emergence in Generations

Many people in the United States could soon experience the most widespread insect outbreak in generations. In what some are calling “cicada-Seddon,” trillions of cicadas underground are set to emerge in a double dose of odd.

First, around mid-May, Brood XIX will appear. They are considered the largest periodical cicada group, emerging every 13 years. As that gang disintegrates, another group, Brood XIII, will arise. This group reappears every 17 years.

“They overwhelm you with numbers,” Dr. Frank A. Hale from the University of Tennessee Extension Department told Nexstar’s WKRN. Hale calculated that some regions could have up to a million cicadas per acre. According to the University of Connecticut, this will be the first time Broods XIX and XIII have co-emerged since 1803.

So, will you be among the fortunate (or unhappy) individuals penetrated by the broods this year? It depends on where you live, just like it did with April’s solar eclipse and the most recent forecast on who will have early summer.

Where Will the Cicadas Appear?

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign predicts that cicadas from Brood XIX, also known as the Great Southern Brood, will emerge in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The 17-year periodical cicadas of Brood XIII will be less widespread, appearing only in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and maybe Michigan.

If you reside near any of these states, you’re likely to spot a stray cicada or two. If you live in the West, such as Utah or California, you’re unlikely to be infested with these bugs. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, cicada broods are primarily found in states along or east of the Mississippi River.

What Can You Expect from Brood XIX and XIII?

Brood XIX is scheduled to emerge in mid-May when the ground warms, but experts believe the gang has already drilled numerous boreholes in the red Georgia clay. They’ll stay around for around a month. Brood XIII should appear around the same time.

Experts think there will be approximately 1 million cicadas each acre. According to John Cooley, a cicada expert at the University of Connecticut, this may easily amount to hundreds of trillions, if not quadrillions.

“Periodic cicadas don’t do subtle,” Cooley explained.

Cicadas are safe for humans and dogs, save for the fact that they can irritate your ears with their singing or spatter you with pee.