Where to Expect Cicada Swarms This Summer, According to a Pest Pro

Love it or hate it, the chorus of humming cicadas is a soundtrack to summer evenings. In most years, the buzzing is more like white noise. But, thanks to the double cicada brood we’re expecting this year, this sound is promising to be much louder in certain regions of the U.S.

This rare event only occurs every 221 years, but not every region with cicadas will experience it. We chatted with three pest experts to learn which areas cicadas will swarm, when to expect their arrival, and what actions you need to take.

When to Expect the Cicadas

According to Bossel, the cicadas might already be among you. Cicadas slowly start making their appearance each year when the grown starts to warm up in late spring and early summer, so roughly mid-May into late June. The farther south you live, the sooner they’ll appear.

The Impacted Regions

According to Harlow-Ellis, there two broods of cicadas that will emerge this year. The first brood are cicadas that were born in 2007, known as the Northern Illinois Brood. The others were born in 2011 and are the Great Southern Brood.

Harlow-Ellis says that Illinois is the one state that will primarily experience both the Northern Illinois brood and the Great Southern Brood. However, these states will experience one of these two broods, plus the typical annual cicadas that occur each year:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Georgia
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Wisconsin
• Virginia

The Potential Impact of the Swarm

Is there actually danger in terms of cicadas? The answer is not really.

“Cicadas are beneficial to an extent,” Harlow-Ellis says, as the molted shells help fertilize the soil. Additionally, the larvae that are in the ground help add air to the soil, which helps water and nutrients reach the grass roots more easily.

Aside from the louder-than-usual cicada chorus this year, she notes there’s only one area of potential concern—the newly hatched cicadas feed on trees and shrubs, so ones that are younger than four years old may be susceptible to damage.

Hodges explains that cicadas normally don’t cause tree damage when they lay their eggs. However, the process involves creating a small cut in a branch or twig.

“If many cicadas are laying eggs on one younger tree, that could be a concern,” he says.

Actions to Take

There’s no way to completely repel cicadas. Harlow-Ellis, Hodges, and Bossel all encourage landowners to cover their young trees and shrubs with mesh netting to protect them from potential damage from cicada egg cuts.

Ensure the openings in the net are no larger than 1/4 of an inch in order to effectively keep the bugs out. Bossel also notes that it’s also a good idea to avoid planting any new trees or shrubs this year if you’re in one of the affected areas.

The Bottom Line on Cicadas

Cicadas aren’t harmful to people or established plants, thankfully.

“Unlike their destructive distant relatives, the locusts, cicadas mainly draw their sustenance from tiny branches on trees instead of leaves and crops,” Bossel says.

And at the end of the day, just sit back for the ride and take in the iconic summer sound cicadas give off.

“Remember to enjoy this extraordinary natural event,” he says. “It only lasts about a month once the cicadas make it to the surface. These critters provide a fascinating glimpse into one of nature’s unique life cycles.”