What is the BUZZ on the 2024 cicadas?
Periodical cicadas emerge in groups called broods.
Starting in late April, Brood XIII (the Northern Illinois Brood, which has a 17-year life cycle) and Brood XIX (the Great Southern Brood, which has a 13-year cycle) will emerge from underground in the Midwest and Southeast, respectively.
These two broods have not emerged at the same time since 1803!
U.S Department of Agriculture Forest Service
The map shows the three broods that are relevant in Illinois for the 2024 emergence. Photo: University of Illinois Extension.
What to expect
The 2024 emergence of 17-year periodical cicadas is likely to begin in early to mid-May (earlier in southern Illinois and later in northern Illinois).
The exact timing depends on soil temperature, which depends on spring weather. The trigger is when the soil temperature reaches 64 degrees at a depth of 8 inches.
Once they emerge, the males make a characteristic call using a tymbal organ. These calls are species specific and attract females of the same species.
After mating, the female makes slits in tree branches and lays eggs there. The eggs hatch six to seven weeks later, the nymphs fall to the ground and go into the soil, and the cycle begins again.