This Spring is not only bringing us beautiful flowers but also a multitude of cicadas. Brood X, a group of cicadas that emerges every seventeen years, will arise and take over several states, including counties in Georgia this year. The last time Brood X made an appearance was in 2004. Local Exterminator details everything you need to know about their soon to be arrival.

Cicadas are large, flying insects, typically known for the loud buzzing sound that males produce. These insects spend majority of their lives underground and a small number of annual cicadas emerge each year. The Georgia DNR says that Brood X look like nothing more than a smaller version of the annual cicada. If you take a close look at one, you will notice that they have bright red eyes, a black head and transparent wings fringed with orange.

This year some areas of the state could see tens to hundreds of thousands of these pests per acre. They typically begin to emerge in mid-May and will stick around through June and into the Summer. Their lifespan is four to six weeks above ground, and they’ll begin to die off in late June and into July. But there may be a few that linger far into the summer. If the weather is consistently warm and dry, that could mean cicadas will finish mating sooner than later. They’ll be mostly gone by mid-July.

Georgia is not the only state to have a cicada over taking. Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and more will see a Brood X cicada outbreak.

Brood X is likely to be around for several weeks going into Summer. In 2024, Brood XIX will be active in even more parts of north Georgia, including metro Atlanta. They’re expected to emerge in Cherokee, Fulton, Jackson, Madison and other western counties. Georgia hosts only one brood of 13-year cicadas. However, three species of 17-year cicadas have been identified in the southern states. They made their appearance in 2017 and 2021, and will come back around 2028. So prepare yourself.

The simple answer is NO. They’re relatively harmless to living humans and animals. Cicadas are really just a major nuisance. You will find their dead bodies all over your property and sometimes flying into your windows. Besides being annoying, Brood X are actually pretty beneficial. They prune mature trees, aerate the soil, and once they die, their bodies serve as an important source of nitrogen for growing trees. When cicadas come out, they’re eaten by just about anything as food. It is said that there will be more snakes present during cicada season because they feed on them if they can catch them. So be careful of other wildlife when out in your yard and cicadas are present.

As of now there is no prevention treatments for cicadas from pest control companies that we are aware of. With that being said, if you find your property infested with wildlife feasting on the bodies of cicadas, be sure to give us a call today. We are more than happy to treat your property for wildlife around.