Cicadas

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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:36 pm

They have emerged in the chicago burbs from their 17 year hiatus, they really annoy the crap out of me. Walking on the lawn sounds and feels like walking on a bed of cornflakes. They make a loud whine like a star trek phaser all day and I smash at least 25 on my car windshield every night on the way home from work (that part is kinda fun actually). Here's a nice video on the subject...they're everywhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I3CNnLdnQc

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:39 pm

I feel you. I am in the chicago burbs as well and these things are noisy! I remember when they were around last time (I was living in Chicago) and they scared the hell out of me. I had no clue what they were.

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:49 pm

We had a Ladybird infestation some years ago in the UK. That's about the extent of our insect capers.

Metamorphosis is one of natures most amazing feats. Thanks for the vid R8, very informative.

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 7103 Location: Yes

The 17-year brood came out on the East Coast (US) a couple of years ago. It wasn't as bad as I had remembered as a kid (or apparently as you are experiencing now). My kids had fun collecting the shells off of the trees -- to my wife's horror as they would stick them on their clothes and walk around with them. Wink

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:04 pm

weenies, we dont have the 17 year kind around where i live, no we have them every year. I grew up doing that shell trick with my clothes, my dad taught me that. They are annoying as hell though.

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 3:20 pm

When I first started baiting I posted on some random guy's cicada guestbook. "Great site, keep it up." So this guy with no life writes back. Opps. I used an MP3 player to record a few and sent him the files along with location, date, time and temperature. This guy is in heaven. I send him a few more from last summer.

He stopped writing when I told him I like a few crickets but the combined scream of hundreds of cicadas is really annoying.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

Like Ook, we have those every year, also.

They get my vote for stupidest insect on the planet.

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 3:27 pm

TSnerd wrote:

They get my vote for stupidest insect on the planet.

Do you know of Love Bugs?

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:32 pm

A study of noise levels found that the sound of a cicada hot spot is actually louder than that of a busy airport.

Oh, and just because they're 17-year cicadas doesn't mean they only come out once every 17 years, there's a new generation each year. The one that got so much attention a couple years ago was just the largest one.

They're actually pretty tasty.

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:49 pm

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Pretty tasty? Have you been reading the SAS survival guide?

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:58 pm

My solution.. Cool

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/steincarter/recipes.htm

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 10:07 pm

In sub Saharan Africa Locusts are a delicacy. But I think I'd rather not try them. I remember how loud they were in Turkey around 15 years ago, But CT 2 years ago was definately louder.