Brood X Arrives in May - Get the earplugs out

[Mr. Anderson]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Northeast/03/12/cicadas.return.ap/index.html

These things are quite annoying, not looking forward to it. I sort of remember the last time these guys came out in '87. They're all over the place, on the trees, on the sidewalk, grass and streets when they die...bleh!

Isn't nature great?

D

 

[evoluzione]

wow, that's so bizarre

fascinating

 

[krimson]

I was in Tuscon when a brood popped out there during my yearly summer vacations there. It was great hearing them.. for the first 2 weeks, then i started to ignore it. It definately wasn't a large population, but there were at least a few to each tree. As a child, those kinds of bugs were fun to catch, and i believe are good luck in some cultures.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

wow, that's so bizarre

fascinating

you say that now - if its as bad as i remember, and I was in Connecticut at the time, you're not going to believe it. you should take a trip out of the city in June or so....

D

 

[wdlove]

I can remember the cicadas at my grandparents farm. The exoskeleton shell left on the trees was neat. I don't remember that there was really any noise issue though. Insect noise was just part of living on a farm.

 

[briankonar]

it's not that bad...

i live in Illinois (north suburbs, i also have an apartment in chicago). it's really far from as bad as everyone says, maybe i'm just "in tune" with them, but it's actually quite peaceful one you tune it out (in Chicago it's not even an issue due to city noise). sort of like a gentle humming, which can be quite pleasant to sleep to (unless you focus on it, then it's like chinese water torture). it's really all in the mind of the beholder, i personally enjoy their noise. what's bad about them is when they die and their hollow shells are left everywhere, nothing like crunchy exoskeletons!

 

[PlaceofDis]

i too am from chicago, but now that i go to NIU, im stuck out in DeKalb, and i am certainly dreading this now.....we have swarms of asian beetles out there that are basically orange ladybug wannabes...having to deal with the broods out here this summer is going to be a pain...the only good result may be that they will feed on the asian beetles.....ahhh i need to go buy a pair of earplugs for the summer now....great

 

[crazytom]

I live in one of the "Tree City USA" towns. If just one of these things is 'singing' within 30 feet of you, you almost can't carry on a conversation---you definitely can't have a phone conversation! I can't wait to see what this year is like! The sound doesn't bother me...sorta like living next to a train track...eventually, you get used to it.

When I was a kid around 20 years ago, I remember a spring where the June bugs were swarming...you couldn't walk 10 feet on a sidewalk without stepping on a dozen of them! Those things are lazy, stupid fliers! I remember getting pelted riding my bike down the street and just weaving my head back and forth to keep from getting hit in the face.