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USA Today
19-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
No, cicadas won't bite: Five debunked myths about cicadas
No, cicadas won't bite: Five debunked myths about cicadas Cicada Brood XIV, the second-largest periodical brood, has begun to emerge in some Eastern states. Along with some possible stragglers from other broods, including Brood I, Brood VI and Brood X, could emerge this year as well, according to the University of Connecticut. Based on their past behavior, cicadas from Brood XIV will likely make their appearances in 14 states, said Gene Kritsky, founder of Cicada Safari, a group that gathers data on the insects. They include Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, and Indiana in nine southern counties. Although the insects are large, noisy and pretty annoying, they're not harmful. Here are five other common myths about cicadas: Myth: Cicadas are like locusts Some people interpret the sudden presence of a huge number of cicadas outside their home as a bad omen, much like the biblical plague of locusts. Even though they have been referred to as locusts, cicadas are their own family of insect. Locusts are a type of grasshopper. Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. Similar to how cicadas emerge all at once, locusts travel in big swarms. Locusts are significantly more harmful than cicadas because they devour large amounts of vegetation and harm nearby farms. Cicadas, on the other hand, consume tree sap and are not dangerous to crops. Myth: Exposure to cicada noise will cause hearing loss As the second-largest periodical cicada, Brood XIV can make a lot of noise when the male cicadas attempt to attract mates with their buzzing sounds. That can be especially true when there are a lot of insects in the yard. But it's unlikely their noise will permanently harm your hearing – unless you're exposed to it for several hours consecutively at very close range. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noise from cicadas does not cause hearing loss. Cicadas can reach high decibel levels According to CicadaMania, each species has its own sound, and the chorus can reach 90 to 100 decibels – about as loud as a lawn mower. Myth: Cicadas don't pee on you Yes, cicadas can pee on you, in fact, quite a lot. It is commonly called honeydew or cicada rain, according to John Cooly, an entomologist at the University of Connecticut. Periodical cicadas, which appear in large numbers once every 13 to 17 years, have the unique ability to urinate in high-velocity jets, according to a recent article in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Most insects that consume xylem tree sap typically pee in small droplets to conserve energy as they expel waste fluid, according to the 2024 study. But because cicadas consume 300 times their weight in plant sap, they expel waste fluid in jets to be more energy efficient. How animal species compare when releasing waste fluid The reason why certain animals urinate in jets while others urinate in droplets can be explained by two concepts – The animal's size and the shape of the liquid as it exits the species. Researchers believe that the bigger body sizes and the energy savings allow cicadas to urinate more like large mammals. Myth: Cicadas bite No, cicadas aren't equipped to bite or sting like bees or wasps, ants and other insects, according to Cicada Mania, a website devoted to cicadas. Their mouthparts do have the ability to "pierce and suck" fluids from trees and plants. They also have prickly legs and feet which could prick your skin if they are held. Myth: Cicadas are dangerous to pets It may seem like a zombie-esque "Night of the Living Dead" as cicadas start to rise from the ground in spring, but there's no reason to worry – even for your pets. The phrase "zombie cicadas" refers to cicadas that have contracted the fungus Massospora cicadina, which might cause them to behave strangely, but these cicadas are not harmful to people or pets. Cicadas don't bite or sting and are more of a nuisance than a danger. Cicadas aren't poisonous if a pet ingests a few. But eating too many could lead to an upset stomach, vomiting, or diarrhea, according to Dr. Jerry Klein, Chief Veterinary Officer for the American Kennel Club. The cicadas will only spend about five weeks above ground before they die off and leave us with the piles of dead, fallen carcasses. For those who detest the cicadas, good news. Because of the cicada's 17-year life cycle, Brood XIV won't be seen again until 2042. CONTRIBUTING London Gibson/USA TODAY NETWORK, Clare Mulroy, Saleen Martin and Jim Sergent/USA TODAY SOURCE University of Connecticut, Elio J. Challita at Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; Scientific American, Hearing Health Foundation, Cicada Mania, Cicada Safari, Lander University and USA TODAY research This story was updated to add new information.
USA Today
28-04-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Cicada Brood XIV, first recorded by the Pilgrims, is emerging once again
Cicada Brood XIV, first recorded by the Pilgrims, is emerging once again These cicadas, first identified in 1634, have lived underground for 17 years and are expected to spread from Georgia to Indiana. Show Caption Hide Caption Millions of cicadas expected in Georgia More cicadas than usual are expected again in Georgia this year when Brood 14 of the 17-year-periodical cicadas emerge. Fox - 5 Atlanta The first insects in what will become a massive, 13-state swarm of cicadas has begun emerging in the South, a biological marvel that will begin slowly making its way north as temperatures rise, bringing with it millions upon millions of the loud and annoying – but harmless – insects. The first reports of periodical cicadas emerging from their long wait underground came over the weekend from Fayette County, Tennessee and Buncombe County, North Carolina, according to the citizen science site Cicada Safari, which allows Americans to track the insect's path across the nation. Known as Brood XIV, it's the nation's second largest periodical cicada brood and its emergence will be witnessed by a good portion of the eastern United States. "Everything looks on target for them this week in northern Georgia, then probably central Tennessee next week and then the following week in northern Tennessee and southern Kentucky," said Gene Kritsky, a cicada expert at Ohio's Mount St. Joseph University. "Then by the middle of May they'll be in Cincinnati and the rest of Kentucky and in another week in Maryland and DC and then Philadelphia the following week." All told, this group of 17-year cicadas will emerge in various parts of Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Brood XIV (that's 14 if you've forgotten your Roman numerals) last appeared in 2008. Last year was an especially big year for cicadas, with the rare, overlapping emergence of two different broods, Brood XIII and Brood XIX. The two broods last emerged in 1803, and the next double-emergence is predicted in 2245. When Brood XIV begins to emerge, it will be the last periodical cicada brood to emerge from the ground for a while, Kritsky said. The next major brood, XXIII, won't reappear until 2028 throughout the Mississippi River valley. Periodical cicadas – an amazing natural event Periodical cicadas are a fascinating insect with a remarkable life cycle. They spend the bulk of their lives living underground as nymphs, where they feed off the sap of tree roots. There are two types, one that lives as a nymph for 13-years and one 17-years. After spending those years slowly growing underground, they emerge when the soil surface temperatures reach 64 degrees, which is just beginning to happen now. Once above ground, they spend several hours drying their wings, then go in search of food and mates. Cicadas do not eat plant leaves, flowers or fruit but instead suck fluid from the stems of woody shrubs and trees with a long, straw-like tube called a rostrum. Once the females mate, they settle on tree branches where they make a slit in the bark to deposit their eggs. Six to eight weeks later the eggs hatch and the tiny nymphs fall to the ground and burrow into the soil where they latch on to tree roots and begin the cycle again. All told they spend only three to five weeks above ground before dying Periodical cicadas hatch in groups that are called broods and which are designated by Roman numerals, a practice that was began in 1907 by Charles Lester Marlatt, a Kansas-born entomologist at the U.S. Bureau of Entomology. There are also cicada species that emerge every year, called annual cicadas. The Pilgrim's Brood This group of cicadas, Brood XIV, is sometime's known as the Pilgrim's Brood because the emergence of the flying insects was first recorded in 1634 by William Bradford, the second governor of Plymouth Colony. "The pilgrims didn't know about periodical cicadas," said Kritsky. "They're unique to the eastern part of the United State. The pilgrims didn't realize they would return in 17 years." In his journal, Bradford wrote '… such a quantity of a great sort of flies … which came out of holes in the ground … and ate the green things, and made such a constant yelling noise, as made all the woods ring of them, and ready to deaf the hearers,' according to Kritsky, whose book, "Pilgrims' Promise: The 2025 Emergence of Periodical Cicada Brood XIV" came out earlier this year. There's nothing to fear from cicadas Cicadas offer a wonderful example of a beneficial ecological system. The cicadas 'prune' mature trees but don't harm them. They don't eat flowers or vegetables. Pretty much the only part of the yard that could possibly hurt would be young, new trees, said Kritsky. For those with newly planted trees, garden stores sell mesh that can go over them to protect them. Once the cicadas die, around five weeks after emerging, they decompose quickly, a natural process that's good for vegetation. Most importantly, don't buy pesticides and spray your backyard to get rid of them, said Kritsky. There are too many of them to be affected by poisons but animals – including pets – that eat dead cicadas could be harmed. Help create a better map of Brood XIV Citizen scientists can help create a fuller widespread map of Brood XIV this year. Americans can download the app Cicada Safari and then report periodical cicada emergences by taking photographs and submitting them. Once they've been verified, they will be posted to a live map. As of Monday the Cicada leaderboard listed five emergences. Cicada Safari was created by Kritsky working with the Center for IT Engagement at Mount St. Joseph. "We've never had a good, thorough and widespread map of Brood XIV," he said. "We got a good map of Brood X in 2021 from citizen scientists and now we can create one for Brood XIV."
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Cicada Brood XIV is coming. See map of where they'll emerge this year.
Cicada Brood XIV is coming. See map of where they'll emerge this year. Brood XIV, the latest group of buzzing cicadas, are emerging this spring. This time, billions of them will hit in at least 12 states, experts say. This brood, Brood XIV, is considered the second largest periodical cicada brood, according to the University of Connecticut. Brood XIV is one of 15 broods of periodical cicadas that emerge every 13 or 17 years, reported the Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY network. They come out of the ground when soil temperatures reach 64 degrees. That typically happens during the second half of May. While annual cicadas emerge worldwide each year, periodical cicadas can only be found in the eastern United States, the Enquirer reported. Brood XIV: See the 2025 cicada map Based on past behaviors, the group is likely making its appearance in Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, and in nine southern counties in Indiana, said Gene Kritsky, founder of Cicada Safari, a group that gathers data on the insects. This map shows roughly where Brood XIV is expected to make an appearance this spring, however, experts say it can be tricky to know exactly which counties will have confirmed sightings. Why it's hard to know exactly where broods will emerge John Cooley, an associate professor in residence in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department at the University of Connecticut, previously told USA TODAY that researchers determine where cicadas will emerge using past records. The university also has a map logging verified sightings of Brood XIV cicadas. However, it's not so cut-and-dry when determining where certain broods will be. According to Cooley, sometimes broods get their wires crossed and end up emerging during off-cycles. Cicadas may emerge this spring in areas such as New York, Washington D.C., Maryland, and South Carolina, but it doesn't mean they're part of Brood XIV, Cooley said. What's known for sure, he said, is that in Massachusetts, Brood XIV will emerge in a small part of Cape Cod, in New York, Brood XIV will emerge on a small part of Long Island, and in Indiana, the brood will be in the southern part of the state, west of Louisville. "There's a bit of confusion ... in southern Ohio around Cincinnati," Cooley said. "There's quite a lot of off-cycle emergence, such that broods may be displacing each other." Deborah Waller is an associate professor of biological sciences at Old Dominion University. Referring to Cooley's previous work, she said that older emergences occurred on the state line but not within the state of South Carolina. "There was an emergence at the southern border of Indiana but no emergence in D.C.," she said. "It is likely that the 2025 emergence of Brood XIV will follow the GPS-based map of 2008." More on this year's brood: 13 states expected to be buzzing with cicadas this year. Here's when and where they will emerge. How often do these cicadas appear? Brood XIV emerges every 17 years, so the last time they emerged was 2008, said Kritsky. Brood XIV probably will begin to emerge during the third week of April, or when areas get a 'good rain,' Kritsky previously told USA TODAY. According to Kritsky, this is the order in which they'll likely emerge: 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 Cooley, from the University of Connecticut, previously said Kentucky and Tennessee will likely see the most cicadas this year. Other states with large numbers of cicadas will be Georgia, the Carolinas and Pennsylvania, he said. Brood XIV: Are cicadas returning this year? What to know about Brood XIV and where to spot them What's the life cycle of a cicada? Cicadas are part of the hemiptera order, the same group that includes stink bugs, bed bugs, aphids and cicada families, Kritsky said. Periodical cicadas like Brood XIV only occur in the eastern half of the U.S., he said. The insects in this brood spend years underground, emerging every 17 years. They are known for the buzzing sound the males make. The males sing three different types of songs and duet with the females before mating, said Cooley from the University of Connecticut. Once they mate, the females lay eggs in tree branches. Around 6 to 10 weeks later, the eggs hatch and the babies drop to the ground, said Kritsky. The juveniles then go beneath the ground and feed on grass roots. Contributing: Chad Murphy, The Cincinnati Enquirer Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
