In around 2008, a swarm of newborn cicadas nestled underground to feed on tree sap and dig tunnels. Seventeen years later, in 2025, they are set to emerge and start the cycle anew. Late April to early May are expected to be filled with swarms of cicadas buzzing, humming, and getting ready for 2042 across much of Kentucky.
But do they pose a risk beyond the droning sound?
“Yes and no… They fly to nearby trees, and they get up there, and they start their droning sound that they make. And then they mate. And after about two weeks, they are going to start laying eggs into tree branches. So what they have is an egg-layer or an ovipositor that can cut into tree branches and they deposit their eggs in there. A dozen or a dozen and a half eggs into each of these… and what happens in the woods is you get some flagging of the branches of these trees. The pencil-like stems they put their eggs into, some of them are going to break and… these (branches) break off),” said Dr. Ric Bessin, an engomologist with the University of Kentucky.
What this means is that while cicadas do not pose a physical risk to people, livestock, or even crops, if you have something like an apple orchard, cicadas laying eggs could damage the trees.
“Particularly if they are young trees, it could disfigure the tree a little bit,” Dr. Bessin said. “On top of that… when those eggs hatch, those nymphs drop to the ground and they migrate down to the roots and they feed on the roots for the next 16 and a half years.”
The biggest concern for most people who do not have several acres of peaches and apple trees is the sound. The first few days are typically not a concern, but as the droning continues for weeks, Bessin says that many report finding the sound “annoying.”
“People’s tolerance tends to wane pretty quickly,” he said.
The cicadas of Brood XIV (the specific brood which will be seen in Kentucky) is a 17-year cicada, but there are also cicadas are on 13-year cycles or whose emergence cycles can vary by a few years. In parts of Tennessee, depending on this year’s bugs, it is possible to see not only Brood XIV, but some eager bugs of Brood I.
For Kentuckians, Brood XIV can be expected to be visible east of the far-western Purchase Region part of the state. The brood will live approximately four to five weeks before their young begin the next 17-year cycle.
Staff Report
