CINCINNATI — Do you hear that noise? The cicadas are coming!
Starting as early as the last week of April, Brood XIV cicadas will begin emerging in the Tri-State. This brood will likely peak in mid-May, emerging in more than a dozen states including Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
We spoke with Mount St. Joseph's Dr. Gene Kritsky, who said the largest number of cicadas in this area will emerge near the I-71 corridor starting in the Kenwood and Madeira areas and heading east around Clermont and Brown counties.
Kritsky, a professor emeritus of biology, has researched periodical cicadas for 50 years. He created an app, Cicada Safari, to monitor cicadas and create maps showing where each brood emerges.
He said the brood we'll see this year re-emerges every 17 years. The brood was first reported in 1634 with its last emergence in 2008. This map shows where Brood XIV cicadas have emerged and where they likely will re-emerge this year.
According to the University of Connecticut's research collections on periodical cicadas, Brood XIV is the second largest cicada brood after Brood XIX, and is bigger than the Brood X cicadas we dealt with in 2021, so expect plenty of noise this year.
While they may be loud, scientists note that cicadas are not dangerous to their environment and cannot bite or sting. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said cicadas are also not dangerous to your pets. At a maximum, the EPA says your dog or cat could get an upset stomach if they eat too many cicadas.
And if you're wondering why cicadas make such loud noises, blame the men. Only the males "sing" to attract females.
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