What Louisiana Cities Will See the Most Cicadas and When?

SHREVEPORT, LA - We have been bracing for an invasion of cicadas this year and I started wondering when they will be showing up in Louisiana. It looks like we are just a couple of weeks away from these creatures arriving in our region.

But all of the maps and projections show Louisiana is not going to be the "epicenter" of "cicadageddon", as it's being dubbed.

When Will the Cicadas Arrive?

First, we have to talk about the 2 different cicadas that are on the way. One species emerges every 13 years and there is another that comes out every 17 years. In case you don't know, cicadas typically live underground and emerge once the ground reaches at least 64 degrees.

The LSU Ag Center says what's happening this year is that both the 13-year and the 17-year cicadas will be coming to visit us and that will mean numbers we haven't seen in dozens of years.

The cicadas are expected in late May and early June across a large part of the country.

Warmer states will see the critters earlier than in colder climates.

How Will We Know The Cicadas Are Here?

You will probably first hear the noise. They have a loud buzzing sound. And the forecasts say we will have trillions of them emerging this year.

These bugs have already been spotted near the Georgia-South Carolina border and more of them will be emerging over the next couple of weeks.

 What Happens After the Cicadas Come Out?

After they come out of the ground, they will mate, molt and then die off. But this will leave behind millions more new bugs who will bury themselves underground to await the next cycle to emerge.

Where will cicadas be in 2024?

The USDA says the 13-year cicadas, called Brood XIX, will emerge across the southeast while the 17-year cicadas, called Brood XIII, will show up in Illinois and the Midwest. You can click here to see the full map.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cicadas-2024-maps-will-emerge-in-the-u-s-this-spring-mid-may-where-to-see-cicada/

What Are Zombie Cicadas?

Oh, you haven't heard about that yet? Yep, get ready for it. Axios reports that some of the cicadas that we will see have come in contact with a fungus which makes them hyper-sexual. This infection reportedly turns them into so-called "zombie cicadas". What happens with these guys is that their genitals fall off because of the fungal infection.

MORE DETAILS: You could try these Cicada recipes.