Grayson
According to the University of Illinois, an insect invasion is expected to occur in 17 U.S. states in 2024. After spending 13 and 17 years underground, broods XIX and XIII of cicadas will swarm the Southeastern part of the country. Billions of them will emerge to lay eggs, find food, and ultimately die. This will be the first time in 200 years that these two broods will emerge simultaneously. Let’s take a closer look at the 17 states where the cicadas are expected to return.
Virginia
This historic state won’t be spared by the cicadas in 2024. Residents from the D.C. suburbs to Roanoke can expect their yards, parks, and trees to become overrun with billions of flying insects. The loud buzz of their mating calls will provide the soundtrack across much of Virginia this spring and early summer.
Maryland
The Free State faces a full-on cicada invasion, with the buzz of the bugs expected to be inescapable in many central and western counties. Baltimore and its suburbs are predicted to be prime cicada territory as they tunnel out and blanket neighborhoods in their numbers. Even urbanites won’t avoid the onslaught.
Alabama
When the winged masses emerge from their subterranean hiding spots across the northern half of Alabama, much of the state will transform into cicada central. The relentless buzzing and the crunchy shells littering the ground will become unavoidable nuisances for residents.
Arkansas
An app called Cicada Safari has already recorded the appearance of these bugs across the state. This makes it one of the few states that get an early visit from the cicadas. If you’re a resident of Arkansas, then you should brace for the return of the cicada hordes that will spread across western and central counties from the Ozarks down to Louisiana.
Indiana
Hoosier state residents should prepare for prime cicada real estate to extend across most of Indiana. Few will avoid the red-eyed masses taking over trees, bushes, and surfaces in their densely packed numbers.
Illinois
Following the forecasts from researchers at the University of Illinois, most of the state faces a head-on collision with cicada mania. Aside from the Chicago area, the bugs will spread across the landscape in prolific numbers through neighborhoods.
Georgia
While the Atlantic coastal regions may be spared, north Georgia is bracing for the largest cicada swarm they’ve seen since brood XIX in 2011, which has a 13-year cycle. The Peach State’s trees will be dripping with the insects, and residents will have to endure the annoying sound of their arrival as they emerge in their numbers.
Kentucky
Entomologists have dubbed Kentucky the veritable “epicenter” of this season’s cicada emergence. The sheer magnitude of the hatching broods arriving in successive waves statewide will completely blanket and overwhelm the state. No area will escape the noisy onslaught.
Tennessee
In 2011, residents of Tennessee witnessed the cicada invasion of brood XIX. This year’s cicada visitation promises to be equally jaw-dropping in scope, with two broods emerging simultaneously. These folks will have to relive the harsh memory of being overrun by trillions of repelling bugs.
Louisiana
Those famous Louisianan bayous and wetlands won’t be the serene, quiet retreats you’re used to once the cicada hatches descend and populate the state in throngs. This is except for the New Orleans metro area, which may dodge the worst of the insect frenzy.
Mississippi
Mississippi is bracing for a crescendo of cicada calls from Memphis to the Gulf Coast as the long-awaited hatch emerges. The ear-splitting buzz and blankets of bugs will soon become unavoidable nuisances for Mississippians everywhere.
Oklahoma
While the easternmost counties will bear the brunt, even residents of Oklahoma City should prepare for the telltale buzz and crunchy litter, signaling cicada season is in full swing. The insects will spread across yards, parks, and trees throughout much of the Sooner State in staggering numbers.
South Carolina
Palmetto State residents have gone nearly two decades without an appearance by the noisy winged hordes — but that ends in 2024. Whether hiking upstate trails or strolling Charleston gardens, South Carolinians must brace for the massive swarm of cicadas forecasted statewide.
North Carolina
From the smoky mountains to the Piedmont, most of North Carolina is in the crosshairs of the colossal cicadas stirring up across the country. Only the coastal outer banks area may be spared the scratchy serenades.
Missouri
The Show-Me State will undoubtedly see — and hear —its fair share of the noisy cicada explosion, with the eastern half facing concentrated hatches. If you live around St. Louis and its suburbs, you should expect a particularly deafening onslaught as the bugs swarm in droves.
Iowa
Iowans, especially in the western and central regions, will get a front-row seat to witness 2024’s cicada invasion. If you reside here, you might not experience the overwhelming blanket coverage seen in states further east. But communities like Des Moines, Sioux City, and Cedar Rapids should be prepared. Parks, suburban yards, and orchards could transform into bug-laden staging grounds for this insect invasion once the temperatures warm.
Wisconsin
Don’t be fooled into thinking the Badger State will be spared the cicada frenzy overtaking much of the eastern U.S. this year. While Wisconsin’s northern location may limit the emergence density, these bugs will make their presence known with the unmistakable buzzing chorus accompanying their arrival. Residents across southern Wisconsin counties like Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth should prepare for these fascinating yet notoriously noisy insects.
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