Cicadas In Ohio In 2024: What To Expect From Brood X

The buzzing, whirring sound of cicadas will fill the air in parts of Ohio in 2024 when Brood X emerges after 17 years underground. If you live in central or southern Ohio, here’s a quick answer to what you can expect: Large numbers of black-bodied cicadas with red eyes will start appearing in late April or early May, mate, lay eggs, and die off by late June.

Their loud courtship songs can hit 100 decibels.

This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the 2024 emergence of periodical cicadas in Ohio. We’ll cover what exactly periodical cicadas are, details on Brood X specifically, what areas of Ohio will be affected, what residents can expect in terms of timing, numbers, noise levels, and appearance, and how to protect your landscaping during this unique event.

What Are Periodical Cicadas?

Periodical cicadas, also known as 17-year cicadas or 13-year cicadas, are a species of insects with an unusually long lifecycle. Unlike annual cicadas that emerge every year, periodical cicadas have either a 13 or 17-year lifecycle depending on the brood or population.

Definition and Lifespan

Periodical cicadas spend almost their entire lifecycle underground, living on sap from tree roots. After 13 or 17 years, mature cicada nymphs emerge from the ground synchronously in large numbers. They then undergo a molting process to become winged adults.

The winged adults live for just 2 to 4 weeks with the sole purpose of mating. After mating, the female adults lay their eggs in branches, and then die shortly after. The next generation heads underground to repeat the 13 or 17-year cycle.

Geographic Distribution and Populations

Periodical cicadas are only found in the eastern United States with broods emerging in 15 states from New York to Georgia. There are over a dozen separate broods of 17-year cicadas and three known broods of 13-year cicadas. Each brood is identified by a Roman numeral.

Not all areas of the eastern U.S. experience periodical cicada emergences every cycle. Cicada populations follow complicated lifecycles and schedules where different broods emerge in different years.

Brood X Cicada Facts

Brood X (10) is one of the largest and most well-known 17-year cicada broods. Here are some key facts about this brood:

• Emerges every 17 years in parts of 15 states from Indiana to New York
• Contains an estimated 15 to 20 billion cicadas per emergence
• Last emerged in 2004 with massive numbers reported
• Next scheduled to emerge in 2021 in trillions of numbers
• Brood X cicadas are black bodied with red eyes and legs

The emergence of Brood X cicadas can be a spectacular event with their sheer numbers. The male cicadas are known for their loud, high-pitched mating calls that can reach 100 decibels. Their emergence provides a feast for predators like birds while their decaying bodies enrich the soil.

Understanding periodical cicada ecology and behavior helps in predicting and preparing for their unique lifecycles.

Where in Ohio Will Cicadas Emerge in 2024?

Brood X Range Map for Ohio

Cicadas belonging to Brood X have a range that extends across parts of 15 states, primarily in the Midwest and Eastern regions of the United States. According to maps from CicadaMania, Brood X cicadas are expected to emerge throughout much of western and central Ohio in 2024.

Use the interactive Brood X map on CicadaMania to view the expected emergence range at the county level. Generally speaking, the southwest third of Ohio falls outside of the Brood X territory and should not see periodical cicadas in 2024.

Counties and Major Cities That Will See Cicadas

Many of Ohio’s most populated counties and metro areas fall within the Brood X emergence zone for 2024. Here is a sampling of locations likely to observe periodical cicadas:

• Cleveland area (Cuyahoga County)
• Columbus area (Franklin County)
• Cincinnati area (Hamilton and Clermont Counties)
• Dayton area (Montgomery County)
• Toledo area (Lucas County)

Areas That Will Be Untouched by Brood X

The southwest third of Ohio falls outside the mapped range for Brood X. This includes the counties bordering Indiana and Kentucky such as Butler, Warren, Clermont, Brown, Adams, Scioto, Lawrence, Gallia, and others.

Periodical cicadas may emerge in scattered numbers near county borders, but dense emergences are unlikely.

The lack of periodical cicadas in the southwest portion of the state presents a unique opportunity for residents to travel north and experience the rare Brood X emergence. State parks and nature preserves through central Ohio should offer prime cicada viewing in spring 2024.

When Will Cicadas Emerge in Ohio in 2024?

Expected emergence timeframe

Cicadas in Ohio are expected to begin emerging from the ground in late April or early May of 2024. The period known as “brood emergence” typically lasts 4 to 6 weeks, meaning most cicadas will likely have emerged by mid June. The exact timing depends on soil temperature and weather conditions.

Factors impacting exact timing

Several factors influence when cicadas will emerge in a given year:

• Soil temperature – Cicadas begin emerging when soil 8 inches below the surface reaches 64°F.
• Weather – Warm weather accelerates emergence. Cool, wet weather can delay it.
• Geography – Cicadas in southern Ohio often emerge 1-2 weeks before those in northern parts of the state.

Life cycle and development underground

Periodical cicadas have life cycles synchronized in either 13 or 17 year cycles. Brood X cicadas emerging in 2024 were underground since 2007. They spend years feeding on tree roots before emerging as adults to mate and lay eggs for the next generation.

Indicators cicada emergence is near

Some signs that cicada emergence is imminent in Ohio include:

• Small holes appear in the ground as cicadas dig their way out.
• Shed cicada skins clinging to trees.
• “Chorus” of loud, continuous buzzing from male mating calls.
• Increasing sightings of live adult cicadas on trees and plants.

What Will the 2024 Cicada Emergence Look and Sound Like?

Distinctive physical features of Brood X cicadas

Brood X cicadas have some distinctive physical features that set them apart from other insects. They have black bodies and bright red eyes. Their wings are transparent and can appear to have an orange tint. Adult cicadas are approximately 1.5 inches long with very robust bodies.

The most striking feature of cicadas is their sound production organs called tymbals. The tymbals are located on the sides of a cicada’s abdomen and are used to produce their incredibly loud mating calls.

Mating calls and noise levels

The mating calls of Brood X cicadas can reach up to 100 decibels, which is as loud as a lawnmower. The females respond to the calls by flicking their wings, which produces a clicking sound. While this may seem unbearably noisy to humans, it is a natural part of the cicada’s breeding behavior.

Cicadas coordinate their mating calls, creating a chorus effect. This is why cicada noise seems to ebb and flow like waves. The coordinated chorusing helps female cicadas locate suitable mates.

Nymph to adult molting process

Cicadas have a unique lifecycle that involves molting. Cicada eggs hatch into nymphs that drop from tree branches down into the soil. The nymphs feed on sap from tree roots underground for 13-17 years depending on the brood.

In the spring of their emergence year, they construct mud turrets around cicada tunnels and crawl out of the ground at dusk. Their exoskeletons split down the back and the winged adults emerge. Their new exoskeletons harden and darken over the next several hours before they are ready to fly into the trees and mate.

Egg laying and die off

Once mated, female cicadas lay their eggs in the branches of trees by slicing into the bark with their ovipositor and depositing 400-600 eggs. The eggs hatch in 6-10 weeks. The nymphs drop from the branches and burrow into the ground to start the 13-17 year cycle again.

Adult cicadas live for approximately 4-6 weeks above ground. By late July, the adult cicada bodies will litter the ground as the brood dies off en masse.

How to Protect Landscaping and Crops from Cicada Damage

Types of plants at risk

Cicadas can cause damage to many types of plants, trees, shrubs, and crops. Here are some that are especially at risk during Brood X’s emergence in 2024:

• Young trees – Cicada egg laying can damage branches and twigs.
• Fruit trees – They feed on buds, twigs, and developing fruit.
• Grapevines – They can damage developing fruit and woody stems.
• Ornamental trees and shrubs – They feed on sap from twigs and stems.
• Vegetable crops – Seedlings and mature plants can be damaged.

Preventative measures to limit damage

Here are some tips to protect vulnerable plants from cicada damage:

• Delay new plantings of trees, shrubs, and perennials until after the Brood X period passes.
• Cover young trees with netting to block adult cicadas from laying eggs in branches.
• For fruit trees, time insecticide sprays to coincide with the nymphs’ emergence from the soil to prevent adults from damaging fruit.
• Use floating row covers over vegetable crops before the ground temperatures reach 65°F to keep nymphs from emerging.
• Water plants well before the emergence to help them withstand feeding damage.
• Prune and destroy any twigs or stems carrying egg nests to prevent nymphs from hatching.

Clean up of dead cicadas

Masses of dead cicadas can pile up under trees during the Brood X period. Here is advice for cleaning them up:

• Grab a rake, shovel or leaf blower to gather carcasses into piles for disposal.
• Dead cicadas can be composted or buried. But don’t add too many at once or the decomposition process will be slowed.
• For driveways and walkways, spray the area with a hose or pressure washer to clean up cicada bodies.
• Use a shop vac to suck up corpses from window wells or other small spaces.
• Avoid using toxic pesticides that could harm pollinators and wildlife feeding on dead cicadas.

Being prepared and taking preventive action can help minimize damage to landscaping and crops from Brood X cicadas in 2024. Carefully following clean-up procedures can help keep areas clear of large piles of dead cicadas.

With some simple steps, the cicada emergence can remain a fascinating nature spectacle to enjoy.

Conclusion

The 2024 emergence of Brood X cicadas in Ohio will be a spectacular event, with these unique insects blanketing affected areas in astounding numbers. While they don’t pose risks to human health, their sheer numbers and loud mating calls make them impossible to ignore.

Using preventative measures to protect landscaping, then appreciating the wonder of their brief adult stage aboveground makes a periodical cicada emergence memorable.

With this guide, Ohio residents can know exactly what to expect from cicadas in 2024 and be fully prepared. Whether this is your first experience with Brood X or you have fond memories from their last emergence 17 years ago, appreciate this amazing phenomenon of nature happening right in your own backyard.