Although Ohio (and Cincinnati) avoided the 2024 cicada double brood, there was no shortage of cicadas in 2025, as millions emerged throughout the Buckeye State and Queen City.
The pesky bugs are a clear sign summer is on its way, even if you get irritated by their ear-piercing sounds.
So, will Cincinnati see cicadas again this year? And why are they so loud? Here’s what to know.
Will Ohio see cicadas in 2026?
The short answer is: No, cicadas will not emerge in Ohio or Cincinnati this year.
However, this spring, Brood II stragglers will emerge between late April and May in states like Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut and North Carolina, according to a map from the University of Connecticut.
A subsection of Brood XXII could also emerge a year early in Ohio in 2026.
When will Cincinnati see cicadas again?
Although cicadas may not emerge in Ohio this year, Cincinnati won’t have to wait too long to see cicadas once again (even though Brood XIV swarmed the region in 2025).
In 2027, a 13-year brood − Brood XXII − is expected to emerge in Brown and Clermont counties southeast of Cincinnati, as well as 10 counties in Northern Kentucky.
A subsection of Brood XXII could emerge in Ohio in 2026, as The Hill notes stragglers could come out a year early instead of waiting for 2027. The Buckeye State will then see cicadas again in 2033, 2036 and 2038, according to Cicada Mania, a site dedicated to cicadas.
What kind of cicadas will emerge in 2026?
A subsection of Brood II known as “magicicada,” or stragglers, which is a periodical cicada that emerges later or earlier than expected, according to the University of Conneticut.
A subsection of Brood XXII could also emerge early in Ohio in 2026.
Why do cicadas make noise?
Cicadas cause so much ruckus because it’s their mating tactic. The bug’s infamous, unignorable loud buzzing is from the male cicadas singing to attract females for mating.
“Adult males attract females with a mating call that he produces with his tymbals, the large convex structures found on the sides of the first abdominal segment,” Gene Kritsky, a biology professor at Mount Saint Joseph University, previously told The Enquirer.
Tymbals exert a clicking sound, but cicadas repeat the sound so rapidly that we hear it as a constant hum, which can be as loud as lawnmowers or leaf blowers.
Are cicadas harmful to pets or humans?
Luckily, these pesky creatures’ fatal flaw is that they’re annoying. Cicadas are not dangerous to other animals or humans as they cannot bite or sting. At worst, they can bump into people while flying.
Cicadas also do not pose a risk of hearing damage despite their ear-ringing buzzing, unless you deliberately put your ear close to them while they are singing (so maybe don’t do that).
If your pet tries to catch and eat cicadas, it’s safe, but don’t let them eat too many, as the bugs’ exoskeletons can be tough to digest when uncooked. People can eat cicadas, too (and have been for a long time).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Will cicadas swarm Ohio this year? What to expect spring/summer 2026
Reporting by Kaycee Sloan and Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
