Double Cicada Brood 2024

This Doodle celebrates “cicada-geddon” where two broods of cicadas — brood XIII and XIX — will start to crawl up from the soil. This event is as uncommon as it is strange to witness. The last time the U.S. saw these two broods flying together was over 200 years ago! Brood XII comes out every 17 years in the Midwest, while brood XIX emerges every 13 years and will swarm across the Midwest and Southeast. That means some states, like Illinois, will see both groups of cicadas at once!

These bugs are about 2 inches long with bright red eyes and iridescent wings, and they begin to surface when it hits about 64° F. Cicadas are only above ground for about 5 weeks and then disappear again for 13 or 17 years. This underground period is why cicadas have some of the longest lifespans amongst insects ’ even though we only see them briefly.

As the cicada shells pile up on trees and sidewalks and the buzzing fills your ears, try not to let them bug you. These clumsy insects fly by the trillions but don’t sting, bite, or poison. Plus, many predictions show they’ll be out of your hair by late June, leaving behind a feast for local animals like birds and raccoons.

So there’s no need to brood when this cicada party ends — a different group will be back before you know it!