Cicada in Michigan: Real Impact of the Double Brood ‘Invasion’

No doubt you've heard how two cicada 'broods' will be emerging this Spring in Michigan and around the Midwest. There will be billions of them. But what does that mean?

Michigan's Cicada Spring 2024: What to Expect

Here are some frequently asked questions about cicadas and what to expect when they crawl from the ground by the billions.

What Do Cicadas Eat in Michigan? Will they Damage Crops or Gardens?

Cicadas spend most of their lives underground in nymph form feeding on plant roots and typically leaving the plant unharmed. Once they've reached adult form, they will feed on plant juices, once again doing minimal harm to the plant.

What are the Life Cycles of the Periodical Cicada in Michigan?

After mating, the female cicada will lay eggs in a grove she's etched into a tree limb. Once the nymphs hatch, they feed on the exposed limbs tree sap until they are strong enough to climb or drop to the ground and dig to feed on roots.

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There, depending on the brood, they will spend the next 13 (Brood XIX) to 17 years (Brood XIII) tunneling, growing, molting, and feeding, until they are ready to dig to the surface. Once they've reached the air, the nymph will climb a tree, where it will molt into its final phase, a 1 to 1 1/2 inch long winged adult cicada.

The remainder of the cicada's life will spent mating and laying eggs. This phase only lasts a few weeks before the cycle starts over.

Where Will Brood XIX and Brood XIII Emerge in 2024?

Most Cicada Forecasts call for the impact of the double brood emergence to be south of Michigan, according to CNET:

Brood XIX, also called the Great Southern Brood...Look (and listen) for them in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

As for Brood XIII, also known as the Northern Illinois Brood, CNET's prediction may be good news for people in Michigan who are fearful of the harmless cicada:

They are expected to appear in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and possibly Michigan.

Related: 3 Michigan Cities Crawling Onto US 50 Most Bed Bug Infested

USA Today's Cicada Forecast predicts the impact of the double brood will be limited to Berrien, Cass, and Hillsdale counties and be limited to only Brood XIII. While the amount of cicadas to be seen in Michigan is yet to be seen, the vast majority of the state won't be affected by the double brood event.