Statewide — According to Purdue University, the 17-year cicadas are on their way in the next few months.
17-year cicadas can be found throughout Indiana but the biggest populations will be in southern Indiana. According to Cicada Mania, these cicadas were reported to be more abundant in the following areas during their last emergence in 2004: such as Brookville, Dillsboro Lawrenceburg, Nashville, and North Vernon.
The University says the timing of the 17-year cicada emergence depends on temperature. They are expected to emerge from the southern part of the state several weeks before they emerge in the north. In most places, they are expected to start in mid-April and continue through mid-May. A good rule of thumb according to Purdue is to expect the cicadas to emerge around the same time as irises start to bloom.
Homeowners only need to worry if they have newly planted trees that are up to 3-4 years old. The best way to protect these young trees is to cover them in a mesh fabric for the 1 month period when the cicadas are active in the area. The mesh bags can be made from a variety of materials as long as the holes are smaller than 1 cm. Drape the fabric over all the twigs and branches that are smaller than 3/8 inches and secure it at the bottom so that cicadas cannot climb up from underneath.
