'Trillions' of cicadas? See how and where dual cicada broods will emerge in 2024

Folks in the Midwest and the South, get ready for a lot of noisy cicadas this spring and into early summer.

According to the University of Connecticut, "since cicadas will emerge from Maryland to Oklahoma, Illinois to Alabama, clearly, trillions of adult cicadas will be present – but not all in the same place at the same time."

Two separate periodical cicada "broods" will emerge simultaneously in 17 states this year. This co-emergence hasn't occurred in 221 years and won't happen again until 2245.

There are at least 15 cycles, or "broods," of periodical cicadas, some of which emerge every 17 years, while others emerge every 13 years. Different broods of cicadas emerge in different parts of the eastern half of the USA in different years. Other species show up every summer.

The bugs have been seen only as far west as Texas and Oklahoma and have not been spotted in the far West.

Where cicada Brood XIII and Brood XIX will emerge

The broods will emerge in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Virginia.

There could be as many as 1.5 million cicadas per acre, which brings the brood population into the trillions.

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How long will the cicadas be around?

It depends on the weather and location, but both massive broods will emerge starting in mid-May and ending in late June.

If the weather is consistently warm and dry, the cicadas will finish mating sooner rather than later, which would mean a shorter season. Typically, their lifespan is four to six weeks, and they will start to die off in late June.

How big are the cicadas?

They’re 1 to 2 inches long with a wingspan of 3 to 4 inches.

Do cicadas bite or sting?

No. Cicadas aren't equipped to sting like bees or wasps. They do have prickly feet that could poke your skin if held.

Cicadas aren't dangerous. They're not harmful to “humans, pets, household gardens, or crops,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Cicadas can be dangerous to young trees, though. The EPA says cicadas lay their eggs in small tree branches, which can harm the tree. To protect maturing saplings, cover them in mesh or netting to keep the insects out. On the upside, larger trees are not at risk.

Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge and Liam Gravvat

SOURCE University of Connecticut, Cicadamania.com, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Entomological Society of America and USA TODAY research