• Brood XIV cicadas, known for their loud noises, will emerge in 2025 after a 17-year underground cycle.
• They are expected to appear in 13 U.S. states, including New York, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
• Climate change may affect the timing of their emergence, which typically starts in May and lasts until June.
• While noise can be overwhelming, cicadas pose no threat to humans or pets and benefit the ecology.
• Experts predict their population will be lower than previous years, but still significant, possibly over a trillion insects.

After a 17-year slumber, the Brood XIV cicadas are preparing for their much-anticipated emergence across the United States in 2025. Expected to appear in the spring, billions of these "alien-like" insects will be tunneling out of their underground homes, targeting 13 states including New York, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, as noted in reports by India Times and CBS News. These cicadas, with their distinct red eyes and loud mating songs, will emerge when the soil temperature reaches around 64°F, typically occurring between April and June.

The mass emergence of cicadas can be quite disruptive. Males produce a high-pitched buzzing to attract females, creating noise levels that have previously led to police calls from confused residents. In South Carolina, for example, local authorities received numerous reports about the cicadas’ sounds resembling sirens, reassuring the community that these noises are merely a natural occurrence India Times stated.

Cicadas, scientifically classified within the superfamily Cicadoidea, play a unique ecological role. Upon their emergence, they not only provide a crucial food source for birds and other wildlife but also aerate the soil through their burrowing activities, which benefits local ecosystems CBS News. The adults typically live only about a month before dying off, but they will mate and lay eggs, continuing their life cycle underground for another 17 years.

Notably, while the numbers of cicadas can be staggering, recent studies indicate a shift in their populations and distributions, particularly in regions of Ohio and Indiana. The University of Connecticut experts are actively mapping their emergence patterns for 2025, as they have observed declining numbers in certain areas, such as parts of Long Island. Despite the anticipated population decline compared to the overwhelming numbers experienced in previous years, experts suggest that today's emergence could still result in over a trillion cicadas populating various regions of the U.S. however, not all will emerge at the same time or place CBS News added.

As the cicadas prepare for their noisy reunion, it is important to embrace this fascinating natural phenomenon. Their presence not only reminds us of the wonders of nature but also the necessary cycles that govern our ecological systems.