My dog has a terrible habit of scarfing down cicadas. She hunts them down, digs them up, and generally inhales the small bugs, before unceremoniously throwing them back up in the living room. Due to this addiction of hers, we have to strictly supervise her outdoor time during cicada season.
When this started, I thought that my dog just had a strange proclivity for eating bugs. However, over the last few years as we’ve seen major emergences of cicadas, I’ve realized this isn’t actually a strange behavior. Dogs all over the country snack on these flying insects, and it’s pretty common.
I know firsthand how scary it can be the first time your dog eats a cicada, and if your pet happens to have a taste for an emerging brood, you may be worried about what could happen if they consume too many. That’s why I spoke to two experts about everything to know about dogs eating cicadas. Read on to find out what you need to know about keeping your pet healthy this summer.
For more, here are 13 essentials for new dog owners.
Where will cicadas hatch in 2025?
While 2025 isn’t expecting the massive influx of cicadas that appeared last year when two broods emerged at the same time, it is still a major cicada emergence. This year Brood XIV will emerge, also known as The Greater Eastern Brood. It’s the oldest brood of cicadas, first being noted in the 1600s in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The Greater Eastern Brood shows up every 17 years, and will begin to emerge in May and last until mid-June. They will be most obvious in Tennessee and Kentucky, but they’ll also be making an appearance in Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
Eating cicadas (in moderation) isn’t going to hurt your pup.
So… are cicadas dangerous for dogs to eat?
No, cicadas are not venomous or poisonous, nor do they bite or sting. These seasonal pests are simply loud and annoying. There’s nothing you really need to worry about when it comes to you or your pets’ safety.
However, that doesn’t mean that you should let your dogs go wild eating cicadas each summer. According to American Kennel Club veterinarian Jerry Klein, you really need to fret only if your pet begins acting strange. “The shells can cause, potentially, some gastroenteritis” and, “in a worst-case scenario … could potentially be a blockage.”
Gregory Lawson, from NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, recommends considering a vet trip “if the dog seems depressed, like is unusually quiet, less responsive than normal” or if the dog is salivating at an extreme level.
In my experience, I have never had to take my dog to the vet, even after she’s eaten multiple cicadas. She has typically thrown up and had a bit of a sensitive stomach for a couple of days after she’s really gone to town on cicadas, but she has never exhibited any of the symptoms that Klein and Lawson mentioned.
Klein recommends observing your pet for any abnormal behavior, particularly if your pet is repeatedly vomiting and is unable to hold any water down, and recommends calling your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns.
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