The ‘song of summer’ is coming in the next few weeks. It’s about time for the annual cicadas to make their presence known in portions of Kentucky. University of Kentucky Entomologist Jonathan Larson said weather conditions this spring could affect the timeline slightly.
“We had a pretty wet May. Thus far, we’ve had a pretty dry June. These things don’t usually impact them too much. They’re usually able to overcome it. We should get the same numbers that we’re used to. They might just be a week or two early compared to when most people are used to them,” said Larson.
Some counties in western Kentucky already experienced the sounds of the brood 13 periodicals this spring. And Larson said get ready next summer for brood 14 in portions of central and eastern Kentucky.
“That brood covers most of our state and then bits of west Virginia, bits of Ohio, and a couple other places. But, I’m hopeful that we can put the word out next year about it. I really want to call it the ‘bluegrass brood’ or the ‘bourbon brood’ or something like that because it is so common within our state,” said Larson.
While the weather conditions in 2024 could mean a slightly earlier emergence of the annual cicadas in the Commonwealth, Larson said the overall number of cicadas, which is sizeable, will remain about the same.
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