Cicada Invasion in U.S.

[Hanson784 165]

Here's some background information about Cicadas here and at Wikipedia for anyone who doesn't know about them yet.

This morning I woke up and heard what I thought was running water. I realized a few hours ago it was the hum of the Cicadas which emerged last week. They've been making this screeching noise all week long, but today is the first time I've heard them make a continual hum which sounds similar to water running through a pipe (it's a little hard to explain, you can hear a sound clip of them at the first site above.)

Even with the windows closed you can hear the white noise of those little buggers. Have they made their to your neighborhood yet?

[Eastwinn 6]

Not here yet. I do remember the last big invasion in 2003(?). The horrible hum! I couldn't stand it! The worst part was around some of our tress were piles of cicada shells. The worst smell EVER.

[Pixelrage 34]

they're not here yet, either. They disgust me, especially when they fly into your head...it's like getting hit with a golf ball! They get so big and heavy, and they're constantly flying into walls. I think they have really poor vision.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

I don't think there's any invasions, but I do believe that they live in Michigan normally.  I think the last invasion of something I recall was these catipillar looking things that were eating trees.

And of course there's the yearly fish flies, which will be thoroughly coating everything where I live in about a month.

[Hanson784 165]

Eastwinn, smell? Yuck.

Jason, I think Cicadas live all over the eastern U.S. They come out on different years. I read a message from someone on another board that they come out every summer in Iowa.

Fish flies? Looking at that picture of them covering the car I'm glad we don't have them around here.

I remember the last time (1990) they came out of their underground bunkers and paid a month long visit to my area. There were shells all over the sidewalk and the constant hum was like a scene from the movie “The Birds“.

One Cicada fell on my sister's frizzy hair when we were walking around the neighborhood. It took my mom about a minute to get it out since it was tangled in her hair. She was seven at the time and totally freak out. I'm sure the Cicada freaked out also. lol.

[opbravo 0]

no such things here in sunny san diego! i do go to school in north chicago, and i remember hearing a story on the news about them some time last year (around may). and supposedly, at least according to wikipedia, one of the broods (brood XIII) is set to emerge this summer. but alas i won't be there. maybe they'll still be around when i get back to illinois in august.

[hamsterTK 93]

We have "Love bugs" here

theyre little black flies that buzz around in pairs having sex. Hence the name...

they dont bite or make noise but they swarm in giant clouds, and ruin the paint on your car with their acidic guts

[LivingInThePast 364]

Every year I go to a family reunion (in Texas) where I hear cicadas. I think they're really neat!

And yeah, lovebugs are really annoying. They're easy to squash and fun to "take apart", but when you do that, you usually end up ripping more than the "connection" off or you squish one by accident.

How to make an imitation cicada sound: Clench your teeth and say "hisssssssss", then move your lips back and forth while still clenching your teeth and hissing....it's...kind of hard to explain.

[Pixelrage 34]

I think their sound has a higher decibel level than a lawnmower....they are REALLY loud.

There are some cultures that actually eat them. Just the thought of it makes me want to puke.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Actually, I don't think we have them here very much.  They seem to be limited to the prairie provinces.  Here we have black flies, which are an almost can't see'um that bite chunks out of you.

[Hanson784 165]

The birds and other animals are having a great time eating them. In some neighborhoods big flocks of Seagulls are starting to turn into a problem as their droppings are getting everywhere.

Pixelrage, actually it's funny you should mention that about the lawnmower. I heard female Cicadas are attracted to the hum of lawnmowers because it sounds similar to a mating song males use attract mates. The Cicada crooners are the ones making all that noise.

I ran over a few Cicadas with the lawnmower when they were emerging earlier this week by accident. I think I'll hold off on mowing the lawn for a while since I'm not in the mood to make Cicada puree for the birds.

LivinInThePast, I also heard stories of people and kids eating them, even frying them up. Cats and dogs like to eat them too I've heard. Fun for the whole family. lol.

[___idiotbox 0]

Back in 2003 these things were everywhere! My driveway is lined with huge trees and the cicada's would like to eat (or actually I'm not sure what they did with trees, but they liked them ) and when they died they would fall around the base of the tree. There would be hundreds of rotting cicadas around these 10 or so huge trees. Ofcourse I would have to walk down that driveway to catch the bus. It smelled HORRIBLE. I had to hold my breath the whole time. 

Also, people were eating cicadas! They would take off the wings and CHOP! gone. Others would cover them in chocolate and eat them. My friend at the time ate one and she told me to do it but I decided not to after I smelled hundreds of rotting cicadas. no thanks. 

I remember the sound, I couldn't get to bed at night. And I didn't need an alarm clock for awhile beause that is what I woke up too! 

-Ellie

[Hanson784 165]

Hmm... now I have rotting Cicada carcase smell to look forward to in a fews weeks. I don't seem to remember a smell last time. Although, it was 17 years ago and maybe the disgusting smell has been blocked from my memory.

Maybe I'll hop on a plane and take an unexpected vacation somewhere where there aren't any Cicadas.

I guess it's not that bad. I discovered they aerate the soil when they emerge, provide food for animals and creep out/annoy humans. lol.

[Odainsaker 2,134]

They have been oddly absent from south central Texas these past few years...probably waiting for they're next brood to emerge on whatever cycle it is. I remember their din being a part of a typical Texas summer in years past, so these past couple of summers haven't seemed right. I never actually *saw* the mysterious noisy things unless the cats caught them and delivered them to the door as live presents to play with. Big green with a metallic sheen...pretty cool, though my phobias tell me normal bugs should not be allowed to grow so big. Most of the time, all I ever see are empty molted shells, which stand perfectly in place for months like huge sentinels all over the place as I am too afraid to touch 'em.

Now the big brown clumsy june beetles and their ugly giant-maggot larva...ick, ick, keep them off me. I can live with the sound of the cicadas when they do emerge, but the soft whine of the Texas-sized mosquito swarms...no! And the giant flying Hawaiian c0ckroaches...now I know why I fear big bugs; never laugh with your mouth wide open! And the 2-foot long Hawaiian monster mantid...eeeep! The whole neighborhood turned out to see that thing (well, those who didn't barricade themselves in their homes in terror).

[woodb3kmaster 342]

Heavens! I'm glad there are no bugs that big in southern California. Now I have one more reason not to move out...

[Goldfish4209 9]

Well, I don't have woods near me, but I just went to a friend's house, and you could hear the circadas through the walls. We went out and shot them with airsoft guns. Fun.