Spring is approaching, and soon, the buzz of cicadas will permeate throughout neighborhoods in the eastern half of the United States.
This year, cicadas from Brood XIV will be seen – and heard – in 13 states, said Gene Kritsky, founder of Cicada Safari, a group that crowdsources and reviews data on cicadas. The noisy insects are often a sure sign spring has sprung and summer is near as they make their presence known to neighbors with a loud buzzing sound.
Should you expect cicadas in your area this year? When will they emerge? Here’s what to know.
Which brood of cicadas is emerging in 2025?
This spring, residents can expect to see cicadas from Brood XIV, or periodical cicadas that emerge every 17 years.
It’s considered to be among the largest periodical cicada broods along with Brood XIX, which emerged in 2024, according to the University of Connecticut.
Brood XIV probably will begin to emerge in the third week of April or when areas get a “good rain,” Kritsky told USA TODAY on Wednesday, noting history is likely to repeat itself.
The cicadas, which are initially burrowed underground, emerge once soil temperatures reach 64 to 65 degrees, he said.
Which states are expecting cicadas?
States expecting cicadas this year include Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, Kritsky said.
Kentucky and Tennessee probably will get the most cicadas this year, said John Cooley, an ecology and biology associate professor in residence at the University of Connecticut. There will also be large numbers in Georgia, the Carolinas and Pennsylvania, he said.
Based on historical data and depending upon the weather, the first states to get cicadas will be southern states such as Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, said Kritsky, from Cicada Safari.
Here’s when Kritsky says cicadas will likely emerge in different areas:
Third week of April – northern Georgia
Fourth week of April – southern Tennessee and South Carolina
First week of May – central Ohio, northern Tennessee, western Virginia
Second or third week of May – West Virginia, northern Kentucky, southern Ohio, Maryland and Massachusetts
There may also be cicadas in southern Indiana, he said.
We also spoke to Kritsky to get answers to questions community members have been searching for. Here’s what you need to know about the latest group of cicadas emerging this spring.
