The Cicadas Are Coming; Again!

Brood XIV (14) Cicada Awakening 2025

Feb 28, 2025

As crazy as it sounds the Cicadas are coming out once again in some parts of the country. Last year we saw some cicadas in some states and now we anticipate the emergence of the Brood XIV Cicadas in Pennsylvania ,Maryland and some areas in Virginia.

I am about to reveal some of the latest productive Cicada style baits for river systems like the Susquehanna River and Upper Potomac watershed that will most likely experience some of the cicada emergence this spring but first lest talk about the Cicada thing one more time.

Brood XIV is one of the 15 distinct broods of periodical cicadas in the United States, characterized by a 17-year life cycle. These cicadas spend most of their lives underground as nymphs, feeding on tree root fluids. In the 17th year, typically during late April and early May, they emerge en masse to mate, lay eggs, and then die within a few weeks. The last emergence of Brood XIV occurred in 2008, and the next is anticipated this spring.

Brood XIV is expected to emerge across 13 states: Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Periodical cicadas are easily identifiable by their black bodies, reddish eyes, and orange wing veins. They do not sting or bite and are harmless to humans. Upon emerging, males produce distinctive mating calls, often forming loud choruses. Females lay eggs in tree branches, and after hatching, the nymphs fall to the ground and burrow into the soil, beginning the next 17-year cycle.

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We are anticipating far more cicacdas this spring than we did last year for sure because this year the brood will incorporate all three of the seventeen year broods:

Magicicada Septendecim

Magicicada Cassini

Magicicada Septendecula

Brood XIX is the largest brood but XIV is certainly one of the larger ones as well. In the Magicicada line there are a total of (4) 13 year and (3) 17 year cycle cicadas.

In Pennsylvania this spring reports are to expect the brood in Cumberland, Mifflin, Perry, York, Synder and Adams in abundance. This basically central PA and the Susquehanna River rolling down towards Maryland.

We can expect them to emerge almost like we can gauge wateer temperatures for Smallies in that once the ground temps get to be about 64 degrees consistantly we will begin to see them. Remember cicadas typcially lie underground about six to right inches of depth so it takes some time for the thermals to get in line and with this years winter being much colder we may see this brood pop a few weeks later than the norm.

Look for the red eyes. If you are crafting your on flies for example be sure to utilizie re eyes as the periodical broods display this trait. Periodical are also typically smaller in size than the annual cicadas and are more blackish in color with orange veins running along their body.

Often times the first emergence is at night and then of course the we all know what happens next. The song of the cicada can be extremely loud especially if the section of the river experience large numbers or the section is within a valley of sorts where the sound echoes even more.

If you live in parts of Virginia you know that the emergence means we are also about to witness increased activity with regard to cooperheads and northern water snakes especially in the Upper Potomac watershed.

Some baits to mimic Cicada patters for the Brood XIV from Daiwa, Jackall and Tiemco to check out are the Daiwa Drown, the Jackall Bug Dog and NEED as well as the Tiemco Origin.