Went to Brookfield Zoo today. The cicadas were so loud, it was hard to carry on a conversation with the person sitting next to you! You had to shout to be heard.

I wish I had my old dB meter. I'll bet they're above 125dB in my yard. I mowed the lawn the other day and couldn't hear the mower over the cicadas. Went on a 20 minute walk this afternoon and I think my hearing was damaged by those little creatures. It is insane out there. The novelty is wearing thin.

I was proud of Otto yesterday when she ate a pair of walking, mating cicadas. Two at once...and no pesky offspring. Doubly delicious.

When are they leaving? I have had it. I HATE CICADAS!!!

In 1990, the cicadas were here until 4th of July. Then, all of a sudden.........gone all at once.

And a little something to look forward to: they are followed by the dreaded giant black wasps, who feed on the dead cicada carcasses. And I mean giant.

Say "Ouch".

Hey Lady! You're kidding right??? Clam -stay out of this!

quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:


Say "Ouch".

Great God!!!!

Nope.....not kidding.....although the picture above is slightly bigger than the real thing.

But the good news is: the wasps are quieter.

I have a rather hilarious story about one of those things, my porch swing, a pleasant summer nap, a pair of loose shorts and my...uh...private parts. But I'd rather not relive that.

A little swelling down there never hurt anybody. A lot of men your age pay good money for that.

Stopped in town to pick up some food from Chin's and was stunned how bad the cicadas are. As some of you have noted, they are deafening. We don't have near the concentration of cicadas by me, but I have seen a number of the black wasps.

The next phase has begun - I was trimming small braches on an oak and saw rows of little cuts - for eggs I presume - down the length of the brach. Good thing people put that netting on their little trees. Those ciadas can reallly cut up a pencil size branch.

I thought they flew down to the ground and laid their eggs there. If the eggs are in the trees, how do they emege out of the ground?

Oh, almost forgot... it is getting a lot quieter.

The female cuts slits in twigs (braches about the diameter of pencils) and deposits eggs in them. The wingless, scaly young offspring hatch, fall to the ground and then start their burrowing down to hang out for the next 17 years living on juices sucked from the tree roots. From the kids' A Golden Guide - Insects. You should post a picture - it is very a unique looking pattern.

Our landscaper tells us that the slits in the trees will heal and the trees will be fine. It does appear they are on their way out. It has been much quieter in the hood the past couple of days.

quote:

_{Originally posted by GEmom2:
The female cuts slits in twigs (braches about the diameter of pencils) and deposits eggs in them. The wingless, scaly young offspring hatch, fall to the ground and then start their burrowing down to hang out for the next 17 years living on juices sucked from the tree roots. From the kids' A Golden Guide - Insects. You should post a picture - it is very a unique looking pattern.}

Interesting. Thanks for the correction. I must have missed that day in school 34 years ago. So falling out of trees isn't only an adult insect trait.

crap, it's getting louder over here by the YMCA. They must be migrating south...

It looks like a lot of trees around town have dead brown clumps here and there...could this be from the cicadas laying their eggs on the branch ends?

Definitely a lot quieter, although I can't get used to the buggers clunking down dead as I sit on my deck reading.