The 2024 Cicada Hatch Is Going to Be Loud

The new brood of cicadas may not be loud enough to cause a temporary threshold shift, but they will be loud enough for you to take notice!

The buzzing of cicadas is a harbinger of the warm, halcyon days of summer. Most years, the ebb and flow of their chirps is background noise to our daily lives. This summer, the cicadas may very well take center stage to our outdoor activities as the 2024 brood emergence will result in a simultaneous explosion of bugs!

Broods XIX (13-year cicadas) and XIII (17-year cicadas) are expected to emerge in addition to the annual cicadas (Mozgai, 2013). Brood XIX will span the southeastern states, while XIII is concentrated in the midwestern states. Portions of Indiana and Illinois are positioned to have members of both broods emerge. This is the first time in 221 years that both broods will emerge at the same time (FOX, 2024). Noise levels have been measured at 105 dB when clusters reach 1,000 (FOX, 2024).

But why is it so noisy in the first place? As you may have guessed, it’s all about reproduction. Male cicadas create the classic chirp-click to attract a mate. If the female likes what they hear, well then, all of that cacophony ensures that the species will return in good time. For more interesting facts about cicadas check out the references below.

References

Mozgai D. (2013) Periodical cicada Brood XIX will emerge in 2024 in fifteen states.Cicada Mania. (accessed April 30, 2024).

FOX TV Digital Team. (2024, January 12) 2024 is the year of the double cicada emergence, a simultaneous explosion of bugs. Live Now Fox. (accessed April 30, 2024).