Where and when 17-year cicadas are expected to invade Ohio this spring
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Parts of central and southern Ohio are set to be invaded by a constant din this year.
Brood XIV of cicadas is set to hatch across parts of 13 states, the second-largest brood of cicadas, according to the University of Connecticut.
According to the USDA Forest Service, in Ohio, the brood is expected to emerge in parts of Brown, Highland, Fayette, Ross, Pike, Scioto and Lawrence counties.
The University of Connecticut said the area affected by the brood stretches from southern Ohio through Kentucky and Tennessee, with parts of West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts expected to see the harmless insect as well. Since the area borders parts of Maryland, Indiana, and New Jersey, some of the bugs can make their way there, too.
More a nuisance than a threat, the large bugs usually emerge either on a 17- or 13-year cycle depending on the brood. The cicadas emerge sometime around May or June when the ground temperature hits 64 degrees, and they last for about 4-6 weeks.
The constant, loud hum of the bug's mating song and somewhat odd appearance are no reason to be alarmed – they're harmless.
'All they do is just climb up on trees and pee. That's as much damage as they do,' said Saad Bhamla, a professor at Georgia Tech College of Engineering. Bhamla went on to explain the insect's urine is just water and poses no threat.
In 2024, 'cicada-geddon' took over a large swath of the Midwest, when Broods XIII and XIX emerged at the same time.
For Franklin County and most of central Ohio, the next brood – Brood X – is expected to emerge in 2038; a good part of the eastern half of Ohio, however, will be dealing with the bug in 2033 when Brood V is set to return.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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