Cicada Brood XIV set to emerge in Georgia: Here's where and when they'll appear

ATLANTA - Billions of cicadas from Brood XIV are ready to emerge once the warm weather hits, and they're going to be very loud after 17 years underground.

PREVIOUS STORY: Brace yourself, Georgia -- the cicadas are coming (again)!

The last time Brood XIV was awake was when George W. Bush was president and Apple was just about to launch the App Store.

What we know:

These aren't the usual cicadas Georgians see every summer. According to the University of Connecticut, these red-eyed bugs are one of the largest broods out there.

The cicadas spend most of their lives underground getting food from the sap of tree roots.

Once they climb out of the soil, the bugs transform into adults - shedding their exoskeletons and getting ready to mate. That's when things get pretty loud. They can produce sound ranging from 80 to 120 decibels at close range.

Cicadas in Georgia

Local perspective:

Northeast Georgia will have the best chance to see the insects - but Brood XIV spans from the Peach State to Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and up to Massachusetts.

"They emerge in spring when the soil reaches 64 degrees or higher," My Secret Garden owner Sonya Harrison said. 

Experts predict the insects will start coming out in Georgia around the third week in April. That's when the temperature will be right.

"They normally come out to mate, and they actually sing three different songs, which are the ones we'll hear a lot of," Harrison said. "The highest-pitched song that they sing is their mating call. They also do a distress call and a celebration after they're done mating."

Harrison said despite all the noise, cicadas have an important role in Georgia's environment.

"Once they lay their eggs at the tips of trees, the tips of the limbs fall off where they've laid their eggs," she said. "It's Mother Nature's way of actually pruning the trees." 

Cicada FAQs

Dig deeper:

• Size and Lifespan: Adult cicadas measure 1 to 2 inches long with a wingspan of 3 to 4 inches and live for 4 to 6 weeks ABOVE ground. However, their total lifespans are 13 or 17 years.
• Diet: Adult cicadas don't eat (much) solid food, but they do drink fluids to stay hydrated.
• Impact on Plants: While cicadas aren't interested in perennials or annuals, they may harm young trees and fruit trees by laying eggs in branches. Netting or cheesecloth can be used to protect trees.
• Safety: Cicadas don't bite, sting, or carry diseases, making them harmless to humans and pets. That means you don't need to kill them!
• Edibility: Yes, you can eat cicadas! They're tender just after emerging from their shells and can be cooked in various ways. Some people say they taste like shrimp, others say they taste like asparagus, and a few people have even compared their taste to peanut butter. Please note that cicadas can contain a high level of mercury. So, if you are allergic to shellfish, you probably should not eat them!

Tracking the Cicadas

If you’re curious about when and where the cicadas are making their grand entrance, check out Cicada Safari or iNaturalist, which let you track sightings in real time.