--- title: More Than a Trillion Cicadas Are Coming. Are You Ready? description: Cicadas spend the vast majority of their lifetime—more than 90%—underground. But this spring, two broods of more than a trillion cicadas will make their debut above the soil across the Midwest and Southeast in an event that has not happened in more than two centuries. canonical: https://time.com/6966406/cicadas-trillion/ author: Solcyré Burga article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-04-12T16:56:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:50:29.976Z article:section: Science og:title: More Than a Trillion Cicadas Are Coming. Are You Ready? og:description: Cicadas have already begun to emerge in some Southern states including North Carolina and Georgia. og:url: https://time.com/6966406/cicadas-trillion/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt907bd36b9a0f9e78/698a55a84ee2623fe631df90/cicadas.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: LIFE-ENV-ILL-CICADAS-4-TB og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: More Than a Trillion Cicadas Are Coming. Are You Ready? twitter:description: Cicadas have already begun to emerge in some Southern states including North Carolina and Georgia. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt907bd36b9a0f9e78/698a55a84ee2623fe631df90/cicadas.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # More Than a Trillion Cicadas Are Coming. Are You Ready? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=252bae5d-b652-4c3c-927d-9d499d24794e&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=252bae5d-b652-4c3c-927d-9d499d24794e&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=252bae5d-b652-4c3c-927d-9d499d24794e&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: Two Broods of More Than a Trillion Cicadas Will Emerge in the U.S. This Year [Watch (HLS stream): Two Broods of More Than a Trillion Cicadas Will Emerge in the U.S. This Year](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/9hkiLZg0.m3u8) (1:41)  _Published 2024-04-01. Trillions of cicadas are about to emerge in numbers not seen in decades and possibly centuries._  by [Solcyré Burga](https://time.com/author/solcyre-burga/)  ## Solcyré Burga Reporter Apr 12, 2024 4:56 PM UTC  A Brood X cicada on a tree in Kickapoo State Recreation area near Danville, Illinois, on June 10, 2021. A Brood X cicada on a tree in Kickapoo State Recreation area near Danville, Illinois, on June 10, 2021. E. Jason Wambsgans—Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service/Getty Images  by [Solcyré Burga](https://time.com/author/solcyre-burga/)  ## Solcyré Burga Reporter Apr 12, 2024 4:56 PM UTC Cicadas spend the vast majority of their lifetime—more than 90%—underground. But this spring, two broods of more than a trillion cicadas will make their debut above the soil across the Midwest and Southeast in an event that has not happened in more than two centuries. “When these emerge, it really is a unique, natural phenomenon,” says PJ Liesch, the director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab, who compares the insects’ emergence to that of Monday’s total solar eclipse. “If you think about your entire lifetime, you might only have a few opportunities ever to be able to see an eclipse. And for these periodical cicadas, it's very similar.” Cicadas have already begun to emerge in some Southern states including North Carolina and Georgia. The insects, which have been living underground for more than a decade, begin to dig upwards when the soil temperature reaches around 64 degrees Fahrenheit or more. “Once that happens, you often have a decent rain shower , that can be a trigger to cause this emergence. So that's what we're starting to see in some parts of the U.S. For us in Northern Illinois and in southern Wisconsin it's probably going to be another month, month and a half before we see the bulk of our activity at more northern parts of the cicada range.” Here’s what to know about the cicadas. ## **What are the two broods of cicadas emerging?** There are two adjacent broods of cicadas that will be emerging at the same time. Brood XIX reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Brood XIII could be seen in Iowa, Wisconsin and possibly even Michigan. ## **What do cicadas do?** Cicadas have a lengthy lifespan of either 13 or 17 years, depending on the brood. There are three species of 17-year cicadas, and four species of 13-year cicadas. The insects live almost their entire lives at a soil depth of anywhere from eight inches or more, according to Liesch. During the time they are burrowed underground, they typically tunnel around and feast on the sap of tree roots as a source of food. Once they emerge, male cicadas begin to buzz using tymbals that are attached to the sides of their abdomen. The noise functions as a way to attract a female partner and reproduce. Cicadas are some of the loudest insects in the world, [according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention](https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2021/07/20/noise-myths-cicada/). Besides the shrieking buzz, however, the insect is harmless to humans. “After mating, the females have a structure called an ovipositor, and what it allows the female to do is go to twigs or branches and cut a small slit where she is going to insert a batch of eggs. That might be 10 or 20 or so eggs, and she's going to repeat this process,” says Liesch. “It's somewhat analogous to if you took a pocket knife and started cutting little slits in twigs.” Liesch adds that the damage to the trees is minimal, and does not really impact the health of the tree in the long run. ## **How do cicadas impact the environment?** Experts say cicadas are beneficial to the ecosystem. “When they emerge from the ground, they are tunneling up and if you're in a cicada hotspot, there's going to be dozens, if not hundreds of holes in the ground in a relatively small area,” says Liesch. “That is very similar to if you get your lawn aerated by a lawn care company and that can allow oxygen to permeate into the soil better. It can perhaps alleviate soil compaction to a certain extent and allow water to flow into the ground better.” Cicadas are also a great meal for other wild animals in the area. Turtles, fish, birds, skunks, and raccoons enjoy feasting on the insect. Dogs can also eat cicadas, though most veterinarians suggest they only ingest a few. Humans can also eat them. “Also once all these millions of cicadas die, they are going to fall to the ground in those areas they're going to break down and decompose and the nutrients will be returned to the ecosystem,” Liesch adds. “So it's essentially free fertilizer to the lawn in those areas when you think about it.” ## Transcript They come out and they do the two best things that don't do their thing at the top of their voices and the p in the wind and as you're walking you'll feel this mess because they'll be hundreds of cicadas. And that's when you look up and see if you get close enough. They're actually very good camouflage Artisan very hard to find because their Brown the camouflage with the bar this year. We going to get to Broods that emerge at the same time and it's so, you know, if you're fascinated by a solar eclipse that's going to happen. This is just like that but x 100 1000 we've got to get trillions of these amazing living organisms come out of the earth. They do is just climb up on trees and feet. That's that's as much damage as they do. But yeah, if you don't deserve them scan them and get your iPhone out. You can actually catch these Jets the disk or once every few seconds one thing I should clarify that unlike mammalian human fee. Cicadas are feeding on xylem. Look at 95% water. It's very low Newton. And once it's processed by the cicada. They've taken much more of that 5% of what's coming out is just water so you don't have to worry. It doesn't like our human beings not I just watered. So I think we get to appreciate you know, this fragile planet. We call Habitat with so many beautiful system small, but Lala did number and you know so much. We don't know yet. It's 2024. We may have Chad GPT, but we still have many many questions. We don't have answers for ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6966406/cicadas-trillion/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6966406/cicadas-trillion/"},"headline":"More Than a Trillion Cicadas Are Coming. Are You Ready?","datePublished":"2024-04-12T16:56:09.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:50:29.976Z","description":"Cicadas have already begun to emerge in some Southern states including North Carolina and Georgia.","url":"https://time.com/6966406/cicadas-trillion/","keywords":["animals","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt907bd36b9a0f9e78/698a55a84ee2623fe631df90/cicadas.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Solcyré Burga","jobTitle":"Reporter","url":"https://time.com/author/solcyre-burga/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt907bd36b9a0f9e78/698a55a84ee2623fe631df90/cicadas.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"LIFE-ENV-ILL-CICADAS-4-TB","caption":"LIFE-ENV-ILL-CICADAS-4-TB","creditText":"E. Jason Wambsgans—Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/animals/","name":"animals"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6966406/cicadas-trillion/","name":"More Than a Trillion Cicadas Are Coming. Are You Ready?"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Two Broods of More Than a Trillion Cicadas Will Emerge in the U.S. This Year","description":"Trillions of cicadas are about to emerge in numbers not seen in decades and possibly centuries.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/9hkiLZg0/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2024-04-01T16:56:05.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/9hkiLZg0.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/6966406/cicadas-trillion/","duration":"PT1M41S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/6966406/cicadas-trillion/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```