What’s that buzzing noise? If you’re in Illinois in early summer, it’s probably the sound of cicadas. A lot of them, in fact – more than any year since 1803.
The periodical cicadas spend most of their lifetimes in the soil feeding on tree roots. But every 13 or 17 years, depending on the type or “brood,” they emerge for mating season. Illinois is home to five broods, and 2024 marks an emergence convergence for two of them. For about four weeks in May and June (the timing depends on the soil temperature), residents throughout the state will get to experience the Northern Illinois Brood and the Great Southern Brood simultaneously for the first time in 221 years. Stragglers from the Mississippi Valley Brood, which aren’t due until 2028, could also make an appearance this year.
The insects are harmless, other than the loud noise, though they can cause damage in newly planted orchards by laying eggs in twigs and shoots.
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