The first of the 2038 Brood X cicadas have arrived in Cincinnati. Eggs laid by this year's Brood X cicadas began to hatch on Friday. Little cicada nymphs are raining from trees, sinking into a 17-year dormancy below ground.You won't see them long, according to Dr. Gene Kritsky, one of the world's leading experts in cicadas.The tiny white nymphs will only be above ground for a few minutes after hatching. “After the eggs hatch, it will climb out of the nest and literally jump to the ground. They have to get underground as soon as possible to avoid predators,” Kritsky said. “By New Years Day they will be 8-12 inches underground sucking on a tree root.”These cicadas will live below ground for 17 years until 2038, until its their turn to come out en masse, mate and ensure the survival of their species. Look for cicada nymphs to continue to hatch across the area over the next month or so, Kritsky said. Unlike their parents, this emergence will be much less noticeable -- they don't sing, are significantly smaller and will only be above ground for a very short time. So where will you see the most of these cicada nymphs? A good indicator is in the trees. On some trees, leaves have turned brown near the end of the branches. This is called flagging, caused by the egg-laying from female cicadas.ANOTHER ROUND IN 2025“There’s always another brood around the corner,” Kritsky said, with a smile on his face.And just as Brood X fades in Cincinnati, Kritsky said another brood of periodical cicadas is right around the bend, with tens of millions of bugs slated to take over Cincinnati again.Cicadas form cohorts called broods, which arise en masse like clockwork on the same schedule. There are 15 established broods of periodical cicadas – some emerging every 17 years, and others emerging every 13.In 2025, Brood XIV will emerge from the ground, another brood of 17-year cicadas.“In four years, we’ll have Brood XIV emerging,” Kritsky said. “Brood XIV is our eastern Hamilton County brood. I received a few emails from people in Milford and Batavia saying, ‘We didn’t get any this year.’ Just you wait. They’ll be coming out in four years.”This 2025 brood will be much more apparent on Cincinnati’s east side, Kritsky said, their cacophonous mating song is loud enough to drown out a passing jet plane.Areas east and north of the city should expect numbers similar to what the west side saw during the Brood X emergence, Kritsky said, with some communities seeing “locally heavy” numbers of the bugs.“A stretch from Mason and Loveland, all along the east 275 corridor area, and then going eastern into Brown and Clermont counties. That’s who will see the bigger numbers in four years. They’ll get pretty loud in those counties in 2025," Kritsky said.But wait. There’s more.Another 13-year brood is expected to emerge in Brown and Clermont counties – as well as 10 other counties in northern Kentucky – in 2027.“We’ll have a lot of cicada fun coming in years to come,” Kritsky said.But at least we’re not Chicago. Kritsky said that north-central Illinois will have quite the cicada show in 2024. It’s a double-emergence that he, in particular, is looking forward to.“Chicago, in 2024, is going to have an exciting year. They’re going to have Brood XVII, which is a 17-year cicada, and Brood XIX, a 13-year cicada. That only occurs every 221 years!" he said.
The first of the 2038 Brood X cicadas have arrived in Cincinnati.
Eggs laid by this year's Brood X cicadas began to hatch on Friday. Little cicada nymphs are raining from trees, sinking into a 17-year dormancy below ground.
You won't see them long, according to Dr. Gene Kritsky, one of the world's leading experts in cicadas.
The tiny white nymphs will only be above ground for a few minutes after hatching.
“After the eggs hatch, it will climb out of the nest and literally jump to the ground. They have to get underground as soon as possible to avoid predators,” Kritsky said. “By New Years Day they will be 8-12 inches underground sucking on a tree root.”
These cicadas will live below ground for 17 years until 2038, until its their turn to come out en masse, mate and ensure the survival of their species.
Look for cicada nymphs to continue to hatch across the area over the next month or so, Kritsky said. Unlike their parents, this emergence will be much less noticeable -- they don't sing, are significantly smaller and will only be above ground for a very short time.
So where will you see the most of these cicada nymphs? A good indicator is in the trees. On some trees, leaves have turned brown near the end of the branches. This is called flagging, caused by the egg-laying from female cicadas.
ANOTHER ROUND IN 2025
“There’s always another brood around the corner,” Kritsky said, with a smile on his face.
And just as Brood X fades in Cincinnati, Kritsky said another brood of periodical cicadas is right around the bend, with tens of millions of bugs slated to take over Cincinnati again.
Cicadas form cohorts called broods, which arise en masse like clockwork on the same schedule. There are 15 established broods of periodical cicadas – some emerging every 17 years, and others emerging every 13.
In 2025, Brood XIV will emerge from the ground, another brood of 17-year cicadas.
“In four years, we’ll have Brood XIV emerging,” Kritsky said. “Brood XIV is our eastern Hamilton County brood. I received a few emails from people in Milford and Batavia saying, ‘We didn’t get any this year.’ Just you wait. They’ll be coming out in four years.”
This 2025 brood will be much more apparent on Cincinnati’s east side, Kritsky said, their cacophonous mating song is loud enough to drown out a passing jet plane.
Areas east and north of the city should expect numbers similar to what the west side saw during the Brood X emergence, Kritsky said, with some communities seeing “locally heavy” numbers of the bugs.
“A stretch from Mason and Loveland, all along the east 275 corridor area, and then going eastern into Brown and Clermont counties. That’s who will see the bigger numbers in four years. They’ll get pretty loud in those counties in 2025," Kritsky said.
But wait. There’s more.
Another 13-year brood is expected to emerge in Brown and Clermont counties – as well as 10 other counties in northern Kentucky – in 2027.
“We’ll have a lot of cicada fun coming in years to come,” Kritsky said.
But at least we’re not Chicago. Kritsky said that north-central Illinois will have quite the cicada show in 2024. It’s a double-emergence that he, in particular, is looking forward to.
“Chicago, in 2024, is going to have an exciting year. They’re going to have Brood XVII, which is a 17-year cicada, and Brood XIX, a 13-year cicada. That only occurs every 221 years!" he said.
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