In spring 2025, prepare for the spectacular reappearance of cicadas, specifically those belonging to Brood XIV. These periodical cicadas will emerge in vast numbers across the eastern United States, marking their return after a 17-year underground cycle. While billions of cicadas are expected, their numbers will be lower than in 2024, when multiple broods surfaced simultaneously.

Areas of Emergence

The expected emergence of Brood XIV will be especially concentrated in:

• Kentucky
• Tennessee
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• North Carolina
• Virginia
• West Virginia

Additionally, smaller populations will likely appear in regions as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts, central Pennsylvania, and Long Island, New York. An interactive map from CBS News, utilizing data from the University of Connecticut’s Cicada Project, provides more insights into the expected locations of emergence.

Timing of Emergence

Cicadas emerge when the soil temperature reaches approximately 64 degrees Fahrenheit. In warmer southern states, this means emergence can occur as early as late April or May, while northern areas may see them appear in May or early June.

Duration Above Ground

Once above ground, cicadas will typically remain visible for about four to six weeks. Although individual cicadas have a brief lifespan of a few weeks, their collective emergence spans two weeks, leading to a staggered period of activity.

Understanding Cicadas

Cicadas are insects closely related to stink bugs, bed bugs, and aphids. The ones expected in 2025 are categorized as periodical cicadas, known for their synchronized emergence and distinctive loud buzzing sounds. It’s important to note that annual cicadas also exist, but they do not follow the same long cycles.

Periodical cicadas are notable for their significant presence in eastern North America, emerging in massive numbers every 13 or 17 years, a phenomenon that can result in trillions appearing simultaneously. Their life cycle includes a larval stage spent underground, feeding on root fluids.

Why Do Cicadas Produce Sounds?

The distinctive noise associated with cicadas is primarily a mating call. Males gather to create loud choruses to attract females. After mating, females lay their eggs in tree branches, allowing the lifecycle to continue as the hatching larvae fall to the ground and burrow into the soil.