Remember the cicada invasion of 2021? It’s hard to forget, but at least we only have to worry about them every 17 years, right? Well, that’s not entirely true, as we will see some cicadas this year.

That’s right. Brood X cicadas may be delayed until this spring and early summer according to experts.

What You Need To Know

  • Brood X cicadas have a massive appearance every 17 years. However, year 18 will see a few cicada stragglers pop up

  • Cicada Safari is a free app to help track cicadas in your local community for free

  • Local expert Gene Kritsky says you need warm soil temperatures to spot some cicadas and to expect far less than last year

These cicadas are behind schedule from last year, but it’s not uncommon for there to be late bloomers in the following year after the massive emergence.

What to look for?

Once again, their appearance will be based on soil temperature reaching the critical mark.

Gene Kritsky, a professor, entomologist and cicada expert at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio, says the magic soil temperature is 64 degrees.

You can track your local cicadas on Kritsky and Mount St Joe’s cicada tracking app called Cicada Safari. The app allows anyone to snap a photo and video, then share it with your local community!

This app helps the scientific community, so share away if you spy any this year. You can download the app Cicada Safari from the Apple app store or Google Play store for free.

How many cicadas emerge this year?

Far less. We will only see the late bloomers from 2021.

Expect to only see maybe a hand full of Brood X cicadas this year instead of hundreds like last year, which is nice for those of us afraid of bugs.

Where are the Brood X cicadas popping up?

Over the next few weeks, cicadas will emerge in southern and central Ohio along with other states like Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Virginia and Maryland.

Southern states where the soil temperatures will be first to reach 64 degrees will be the trend.

And if you don't spy any this time around, our next massive Brood X cicada invasion will happen 16 years from now in 2038.