17-year cicadas have already been spotted in some parts of Kentucky this year, and more are coming.
This year, cicadas from Brood XIV will be seen – and heard – in 13 states, Gene Kritsky, founder of Cicada Safari told USA TODAY a group that crowdsources and reviews data on cicadas.
Here’s what we know about the cicadas and when they’ll be in Kentucky.
What are cicadas?
Cicadas are noisy insects that 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.
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.
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Are Brood XIV cicadas in Kentucky?
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.
The Cicada Safari moble app shows thousands of sightings already around the state, including a small number near Louisville.
To keep track of cicada sightings, download the Cicada Safari mobile app, visit www.cicadamap.msj.edu or www.cicadas.uconn.edu/broods/brood_14.
When do cicadas emerge?
The cicadas, which are initially burrowed underground, emerge once soil temperatures reach 64 to 65 degrees, Kritsky said.
How long will cicadas stick around?
Cicadas, which are called nymphs in their immature stage, don’t all emerge in one night, Kritsky said.
“It takes about two full weeks for the great bulk of the cicadas to come out,” he said. “Once they start coming out at a specific location, that starts the clock. You’ll have cicadas at that location for the next six weeks.”
The nymphs first make their way out of the ground, then crawl up a tree or an upright surface, Kritsky said. They then lock their claws onto the surface they’ve chosen.
According to Cooley, come July, there will hardly be any sign of cicadas minus the holes in the ground and the eggs in the trees.
How does this year’s brood compare with last year’s?
Kritsky said this year’s brood, XIV, will be heavy in some areas. The two broods from last year – the 13-year brood Brood XIX and the 17-year Brood XIII – emerged in more states, however.
Another large 17-year brood, Brood X, emerged in 2021 in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Can cicadas give me mites?
Kritsky said cicadas have been reported to lead to oak leaf itch mite, but that’s mainly when people spend time under oak trees six to 10 weeks after the cicadas have laid their eggs.
“The eggs start to hatch, but when they hatch, also leaving the egg nests are the mites,” he said. “They drop out of the egg nests onto people and cause an itching reaction.”
The answer to preventing the itching sensation is simple, he said: “If they start emerging in mid-May, don’t sit under the oak tree during the month of July.”
Why do cicadas buzz?
The buzzing noise associated with cicadas is their version of singing, said Cooley, from the University of Connecticut. The males sing three types of songs, engage in duets with the females and then mate, he told USA TODAY.
Do cicadas sleep?
Kritsky said there’s no way to know for sure if cicadas sleep, but they do quiet down at night.
He recalled a time four years ago when a brood emerged in a tree in his backyard. He was lying on a second-floor deck behind his house and saw what the cicadas were up to.
He shined a flashlight on them about 6 feet away and watched as they clung to the tree branches silently.
“Most of them were on the underside of the big tree branches,” he said.
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz: New sightings of Brood XIV class seen in multiple states after 17 years
Is my garden safe with cicadas?
Kritsky said people worried about their gardens should not fret. Cicadas don’t eat. Instead, they drink, he said.
They initially feed on grass roots and then later puncture the xylem tissue that carries water to tree leaves.
If anything, the only damage cicadas cause is when females lay eggs at the ends of branches, sometimes breaking branches and turning the leaves brown.
“However, that doesn’t kill the tree,” he said. “It actually can be possibly beneficial because it‘s like a natural pruning. … The flower next year will be even larger.”
Contributing: Emily DeLetter, Jenny Porter Tilley
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Where have Brood XIV cicadas been seen in Kentucky in 2025? How to track