The cicada are coming.....THE CICADA ARE COMING!!!!

[red state]

The cicada are coming.....THE CICADA ARE COMING!!!!

http://www.gardenersnet.com/atoz/cicada.htm

This seems to be the year of the cicada! I am currently listening to their alien-type song of constant whine that sounds more like an ever rolling and extremely busy highway. My West Highland White Terriers are gobbling them up and I fear for some of my trees that I've put out. My yard looks as though someone went around poking pinky-sized holes ALL around and these varmints are literally EVERYWHERE!

YES, this is the year of the cicada and although a bit exciting, the big picture leaves me wondering just how much damage they may cause.

Anyone else have this problem or noticed it?

[red state]

OK....I can't take it any longer. At first, it may be new and exciting to see and hear these creatures, then it gets a bit eerie but now the sound and all of the empty shells and newly formed wing-creatures with their constant (CONSTANT and steady) noise is driving me NUTS! Good thing they come out this strong only every seven to seventeen years!!!!!

[NightTrain]

Interesting.

Are there flocks of birds showing up by the millions to eat them?

[Kathianne]

The town I grew up in had lots of very old trees and the cicadas were horrendous there. Went to a friend's home about 12 miles away, new subdivision. Few cicadas. It all depends on how disrupted the soil has been over the years.

[red state]

Interesting.

Are there flocks of birds showing up by the millions to eat them?

No....unfortunately, only those in normal numbers. I would love to be invaded by millions of Bee Birds from the far South but only a male and female have been here and I fear that they have already gone further North. The sound from these extraordinary bugs is defining and doesn't ease up one second!!! Unbelievable! Kadidids are different and are even peaceful (especially at night) and they usually take a break every now and then but these lil' buggers that are currently driving me KraZy never give up.....EVER! I suppose if I was in the ground for long periods of time, with only a small amount of time in the FREE air, I'd probably raise all kind of noise too. HA!!

[red state]

The town I grew up in had lots of very old trees and the cicadas were horrendous there. Went to a friend's home about 12 miles away, new subdivision. Few cicadas. It all depends on how disrupted the soil has been over the years.

I am in a small town between Memphis and Tupelo and you are right about the "disrupted soil" for the most part but the eerie holes from these insects resurrection is everywhere (even where i had done a lot of tractor work and packed the ground hard. I believe they have even made their way through a bricked patio that I put in a few years ago!!!!! Unbelievable. At least I don't have to buy as much of that expensive Westy food for my lil' white dogs cuz they've been eating the heck out of these bugs!!! I hear they are nutritious. I just hope they don't destroy the younger trees cuz we have them in almost Biblical proportions right now.

[red state]

Interesting.

Are there flocks of birds showing up by the millions to eat them?

NT.....as much as these insects are getting on my nerves, and as much as I've always wanted to go to Alaska on a bear hunt or something, I'd not trade them for YOUR Spring time cloud of mosquitoes and such!!! Wow! If ever going to Alaska, I believe I'd probably go in late Summer or early Fall. If all goes well with my new client within the last few days, I may be able to book some sort of a hunt or fishing expedition (on the cheap). He's Paul Ritz and has shown me some very impressive photos of his guides and hunts. He's very old school but is finally getting with the times and I hope to assist as best I can. I'm sure he's probably seen it all in the way of intrusive bugs cuz he's been to Africa where bugs and spiders get really big, loud and dangerous to people and crops.

So, what bug is Alaska's greatest threat and is Spring your worse season (as I suspect)? With cicada being ground insects for long periods, I assume the frozen ground of Alaska keeps them out.

[red state]

Well, the rain just moved in from TX so I can't hear the cicada......what a relief!!!

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

Well, the rain just moved in from TX so I can't hear the cicada......what a relief!!!

I am so used to their sound that it bothers me not at all. There is a wasp that slays em by the thousands to than lay it eggs in them bury them and provide food for its offspring.
Our dogs back on the farm when I was a kid would eat them too.
If da noise gets too bad just drink TWO fifths of good whiskey my friend.
Ipromise you after that you'll not worry about that noise. --Tyr

[LongTermGuy]

Interesting Info:

[red state]

I have a quart jar of White Lightnin' in the fridge, a fifth of James Bean and a half gone bottle of Rum.....all for cookin' and 'such' but I don't drink (except to make sure they haven't 'turned'). HA!!!! As for being accustomed to the cicada's sound....are you talkin' abotu katydids or are you talking about being use to the recent sound of our fairly rare visitors who are out in full force this year?

Yeah, my lil' Westy's are so full they won't eat anything else (and they are usually RAVENOUS). I heard we humans could eat them.....but I'm not "THERE" yet. Perhaps a bit of Jimmy Bean marinade to tame them down a bit. My aunt, while in Texas, tried (and liked) chocolate covered ants. Again, I've not gotten "THERE" yet.

Tyr, I'm getting quite the storm.....I'm a bit concerned. How goes it in Mempho?

[red state]

Interesting Info:

Very informative.......haven't seen the birds act any differently or in any unusually sizable numbers (yet). All I hear are frogs now with this storm. Need this storm to get my garden (late garden) up. I was relieved to find out that although harmful to trees, these new pests that have annoyed me all day are not harmful to gardens.

[Jeff]

The last I seen these things out in force was back when I was still in my teens, there where literally millions of them, we would catch them and fill a fish tank slammed with them pout gas through the screen top and cook them, they say they come out every 17 years or something like that, but I haven't seen them since that one year, at least out like they where that year.

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

I have a quart jar of White Lightnin' in the fridge, a fifth of James Bean and a half gone bottle of Rum.....all for cookin' and 'such' but I don't drink (except to make sure they haven't 'turned'). HA!!!! As for being accustomed to the cicada's sound....are you talkin' abotu katydids or are you talking about being use to the recent sound of our fairly rare visitors who are out in full force this year?

Yeah, my lil' Westy's are so full they won't eat anything else (and they are usually RAVENOUS). I heard we humans could eat them.....but I'm not "THERE" yet. Perhaps a bit of Jimmy Bean marinade to tame them down a bit. My aunt, while in Texas, tried (and liked) chocolate covered ants. Again, I've not gotten "THERE" yet.

Tyr, I'm getting quite the storm.....I'm a bit concerned. How goes it in Mempho?

Memphis--the same old fightin' , stealing, dope selling , black appeasing city it has been for better than 50 years now.

My friend, you are talking to a country boy , one fairly born and bred.
Trust me , I know very well what cicadas are.
Had a friend many years ago offer to send me some chocolate covered ants to try. I emailed him back saying,
Hoss, iffin ya down to eating insects I can send you some money to help tide ya over for a spell.
I was joking, he thought it was a serious reply. He got mad at me and didn't speak to me for about 3 months!
We both still laugh about that little tango from long ago..--Tyr

[red state]

Finally!!!! The noise is GONE. I now only here the normal Summer sounds (such as grasshoppers, locust, frogs & crickets at night and the same with a lot of bird sounds in the day). the Cicadas are gone for a few more years now. I'll probably not have to endure their noise the next time around.