Wisconsin's first cicadas of 2024 have begun to hatch, according to an expert with the UW-Madison Department of Entomology and the Wisconsin DNR.
Terrie Mess of Lake Geneva sent TMJ4 photos of several cicadas hatching in her yard on Friday. PJ Liesch, with UW's Department of Entomology, along with the DNR, confirmed that this represents the first report they are aware of in Wisconsin this year.
The periodical cicadas, which live underground for 17 years at a time, last emerged in Wisconsin in 2007. Liesch says there were a few reports of out-of-sync cicadas in 2020, but this will be the first time a large brood emerges in nearly 20 years.
Terrie Mess
The cicadas are expected to continue to emerge in the days and weeks to come. Likely hot spots include Lake Geneva, Janesville, Beloit, and Spring Green, along with other areas of southwest Wisconsin.
It may take up for a week after hatching for the cicadas to make their trademark noise, Liesch says.
Liesch told TMJ4 he was in Lake Geneva a week ago and noticed "emergence tunnels," adding that the cicadas would be visible in many parts of downtown Lake Geneva in the coming weeks, as well as at Big Foot Beach State Park.
If you see cicadas in your community, we'd love to take a look at the pictures. Email them to news@tmj4.com.
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