I've not heard much chit chat here on cicadas, even though many commenters have been lately discussing pets and animals. Perhaps because I live near a forest preserve, the cicadas are like a plague around here. I've never seen anything like it, even though I've lived through two previous cicada years. When they get to symphonically humming in the forest about midday, it sounds like a UFO landing. This morning I caught them on camera on plants in my yard, still sleeping.
(See three more photos on page 2.)
Comments:
I think I would burst into tears if I saw that in my yard.
Too many of any bug freaks me out.
My freshman year we had a ladybug infestation in our dorm room. They would make a thin layer all over the walls. It was terrible. I never thought I would hate lady bugs...
Anyways, I think had *those* things infested my room, I would have moved.
Posted by: Lauren
at June 14, 2007 7:35 AMI don't think there are very many here right now... I haven't heard or seen from them for a long time.
You sure do have a ton!
Good Lord Woman! Get out while you can...
Posted by: MK at June 14, 2007 7:45 AMOMG, I think I would have a panic attack if I saw those flying at me.
RUN FOR THE HILLS JILL!!
Posted by: midnite678 at June 14, 2007 9:12 AMWhat are they?
Posted by: Heather4life at June 14, 2007 9:15 AMWe had a locust year when I was in the 3rd grade....you couldn't find a moments peace outside.
I had a ladybug infestation once too. I was always afraid they would fly into my mouth at night..and they would make my room smell like a field...ooo and you could smell them burning when they would come into contact with a lightbulb.
Posted by: JK at June 14, 2007 9:18 AMLooks like they just crawled out their molts. Very shiny lil' guys.
Hear about the blue-eyed one a kid IL found??
Cool pix Jill!
Posted by: Cameron at June 14, 2007 9:42 AMCameron, spoken like a true biology major... :)
Posted by: Jill Stanek at June 14, 2007 11:04 AMMan, we don't have cicadas where I am. :( That makes me so sad. Luckily, I'll be going to SC over the summer, where there are these little cuties in the billions! Excitement!
Posted by: HumanAbstract at June 14, 2007 11:41 AMHaha Cam, I'm not much of an entymologist [I study herpetology and was considering it as a career] but I did read about the blue-eyed mutation that the kid found. The kid was actually ony a few miles from where my town is. Yay for genetic hiccups!
PS I agree, they either just molted or possibly are wet from the dew. In any case, both annoying and somewhat pretty, in their own cicadaish way!
^_^ V
Posted by: Skinhead Dan at June 14, 2007 1:03 PMWhen I was in 1st grade we had them...boy was it bad! I remember riding to school on my bike and hearing them "pop" under my wheels and I was desperately trying NOT to hit them! We would also have races up the walls of the school during recess and lunch hour! That was in a suburb of Chicago...my brother still lives there and he says it's not so bad this year...
Posted by: sam at June 14, 2007 1:18 PMI lived in Cincinnati when they had a huge cicadis problem. Something like a 17 year infestation, can't really remember. Most people would use unbrella's to keep them from flying into your head. The crunch, crunch as you walked was disgusting. We always have them, but I haven't heard them this year. (you usually hear them around here but rarely see them. Loud little buggers.)
Posted by: Valerie at June 14, 2007 1:59 PM
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.