Are you noticing a lot of dead or dying branches on trees lately? It’s not the recent heat wave causing it. The invasion of 17-year cicadas is to blame.
Time is growing short for Brood XIV cicadas, which started to emerge in mid-May. They have spent the past several weeks screaming from the trees, making a mess and peeing on everything. They have also been mating, laying eggs for the next generation.
Those dead tree branches? Some of that is caused by female cicadas laying eggs. And the Ohio State University Extension says the cicada “damage is now producing noticeable stem dieback.”
Is that harmful to the plants and trees? Here’s what to know.
Cicada damage to trees. How to protect your plants
What you’re seeing on the trees is called “flagging,” the death of branch tips from the site cicadas lay eggs to the end of the branch, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
In a June 20 article on Buckeye Yard & Garden Online, a publication of the OSU Extension, Joe Boggs, professor of entomology, wrote that the damage caused to trees by cicadas is mainly aesthetic.
“Although the flagging is readily apparent, the impact on tree health is minimal,” he wrote. “Our trees evolved with our cicadas.”
However, Boggs added that extensive flagging on trees 4 years old or younger can be serious. According to ODNR, small or newly planted trees and shrubs can be more vulnerable to damage and can be protected by covering them with fine netting while adult cicadas are active.
The use of pesticides to control cicadas is not warranted, ODNR says, as they are a food source to many other animals.
When do cicadas go away? Here’s when Brood XIV will peak in Cincinnati, Southwest Ohio
So when will these cicadas go away? Gene Kritsky, professor emeritus of biology with Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, believes it will be soon.
The 17-year cicadas are only around for a few weeks, per ODNR. And while they started to emerge in mid-May, they were still going strong as of June 17, according to Kritsky, founder of Cicada Safari, an app that crowdsources and reviews data on cicadas.
Kritsky attributed the slow emergence to cooler, rainy days in May. Cicadas need the soil temperatures to hit 64 degrees to emerge, per ODNR, which typically happens in the second half of May.
However, Kritsky previouly said people should start “to notice things getting quieter” this week and that “the singing should be over in early July.”
Where have cicadas been the worst in Cincinnati and Southwest Ohio?
Kritsky said the heaviest presence of 17-year cicadas have been in Loveland and Mason, northeast of Cincinnati, as well as Pattison Park in Batavia and East Fork State Park in Bethel, both roughly 25 miles east of the Queen City.
According to the map generated by Cicada Safari, where users can submit reports of cicada sightings, there have been tens of thousands of reports in Cincinnati and its northern suburbs. But if you head south, crossing the Ohio River into Northern Kentucky, cicada reports dwindle until you hit Louisville and Lexington, per the map.
About Brood XIV cicadas
Brood XIV is one of 15 recognized broods of periodical cicadas that emerge every 13 or 17 years, and one of four that appear in the Buckeye State, according to ODNR.
They are active for three to four weeks as they focus on mating and reproduction, per ODNR. Male periodical cicadas produce a deafening chorus of calls to attract females. Once mated, female cicadas deposit their eggs into the branches of trees and shrubs.
Annual cicadas emerge worldwide each year, but periodical cicadas are found only in eastern North America. They live underground as nymphs for either 13 or 17 years before emerging above ground in massive numbers. Different populations of periodical cicadas are called “broods” and are numbered with Roman numerals.
Cicadas swarming at Kings Island
One of the biggest tourist attractions in Southwest Ohio − Kings Island, in Mason − is also in the center of one of the largest cicada emergences. And some visitors have taken to TikTok to share their disgust, The Enquirer reported on June 11.
Videos show people ducking to get away from the bugs, or just running off in some cases. And their screaming is audible in each one. One 5-year-old adopted a cicada for the day, taking it on rides with her.
Kritsky told Scripps News Services that he has one important piece of advice for Kings Island visitors.
“Just enjoy the cicadas, and when you’re on the ride, keep your mouth closed,” he said.
Where in Ohio have Brood XIV cicadas emerged in 2025? See the map
Brood XIV cicadas of 2025 stretch from northern Georgia to Massachusetts. In Ohio, they were expected to emerge in a more than dozen counties, per ODNR, mostly in Southwest Ohio:
Some of the edge counties will not see as heavy an emergence as others.
What’s the difference between periodical vs. annual cicadas?
The cicadas that emerge every 13 or 17 years are different from the ones seen every summer, and it’s not just the amount of time.
Kritsky told WKRN in Nashville that periodical cicadas emerge in May or June, while annual cicadas show up later, in late June and July, and through the rest of summer.
The two types also look different from each other. Periodical cicadas have black bodies with red eyes and red-orange wings and can be anywhere from three-quarters of an inch to an inch and one-quarter in length. Annual cicadas have dark green to black bodies with green-veined wings and black eyes and are larger. They can grow to an inch and one-third in length.
Are cicadas harmful to dogs? What animals eat cicadas?
Any animal that can eat insects will eat cicadas, according to the Purdue University Extension. Those include fish, bears, birds, raccoons and even other insects, such as parasitic wasps.
They’re also safe for your dog to eat, to a point.
According to the American Kennel Club, a dog that eats the occasional cicada should be fine. However, dogs that gorge on cicadas will find their exoskeletons difficult to digest, resulting in an upset stomach, abdominal pain, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Some dogs that overconsume cicadas may require a trip to the vet for IV fluids, or pain and anti-nausea medications.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why are so many tree branches dying around Cincinnati? Cicadas are to blame
Reporting by Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
