Photo: Tara Hills / Cicadas of NZExplainer - Depending on your tolerance, it's the iconic sound of a Kiwi summer or a drill buzzing into your ears. The seasonal serenade of cicadas kicks off as the weather warms and typically peaks sometime in February - but how and why do these insects make such a loud noise? Cicadas are found all around the world, but there are at least 42 distinct species in New Zealand. That means every year peak cicada noise might be at a different time. "It is unlikely but not impossible that cicadas could cause hearing loss," he said, but generally the sound is more irritating to some than dangerous.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 19, 2026 03:54 UTC