The Cicadas have arrived

Don M.

Don M.

SF VIP
Location
central Missouri
During this past week, the expected arrival of huge numbers of Cicadas have arrived in our area. We live in a dense forest, and when we step outdoors there is a continuous background noise in all directions. Fortunately, these huge insects are not hazardous.
 

I also live in the woods and have the constant 'crunching' noise in all directions. This is the first time I've actually experienced cicadas (it seems I've always been somewhere they aren't) and although I did some research upon their arrival, I found out something new this morning when I was cutting grass. It seems that 'cicadas are attracted to loud noises — including those coming from power tools, leaf blowers, and other machinery — and they will swarm toward the noise.'
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As I was cutting the grass—my mind wandering as always—I tried to understand why the mower sound would attract them. Is it the females thinking that the mower is a huge, super, male cicada and wanting to mate with it? Or is it the males wanting to do away with the competition, or perhaps play wingman to get in on the action? It's no wonder they only live above ground for a few weeks. They're idiots!
 

VisualBrian said:
I also live in the woods and have the constant 'crunching' noise in all directions. This is the first time I've actually experienced cicadas (it seems I've always been somewhere they aren't) and although I did some research upon their arrival, I found out something new this morning when I was cutting grass. It seems that 'cicadas are attracted to loud noises — including those coming from power tools, leaf blowers, and other machinery — and they will swarm toward the noise.'
Read more...
As I was cutting the grass—my mind wandering as always—I tried to understand why the mower sound would attract them. Is it the females thinking that the mower is a huge, super, male cicada and wanting to mate with it? Or is it the males wanting to do away with the competition, or perhaps play wingman to get in on the action? It's no wonder they only live above ground for a few weeks. They're idiots!
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When cutting our grass today, it seemed that I was a target. I wondered if it was the mower noise or the light colored clothing I wore. Either way I got flogged by those critters repeatedly.
 
Don M. said:
During this past week, the expected arrival of huge numbers of Cicadas have arrived in our area. We live in a dense forest, and when we step outdoors there is a continuous background noise in all directions. Fortunately, these huge insects are not hazardous.
Click to expand...
I love the sound of Cicadas... We don't have them here , but in Spain... at night it's like the sound of an electric pylon humming....
 
hollydolly said:
I love the sound of Cicadas... We don't have them here , but in Spain... at night it's like the sound of an electric pylon humming....
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People were daily talking about the coming event of the cicada cycle. A few weeks ago I went out to get our mail and thought they had arrived. Then I thought about the fact that I hadn't put in my hearing aids, and it was actually the tinnitus that I was hearing. They had not yet arrived, but now it's a darned if I do and darned if I don't. Fortunately it doesn't last tooooooo long.
 
helenbacque said:
Isn’t nature interesting, also wonderful.
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I'm sure they fit somewhere in the food chain and life cycle logic, but by the time we hear about that part they will have peaked and declined. Our focus will move on to something else. Like most hot topics we dwell on we prove we have the attention span of a gnat.
 
In Hong Kong they used to have cicadas but also had an expression which meant " the twittering of the sparrows" anyone guess what that may have meant - it did sound very similar to cicadas to me?
 
It appears that our cicada's are gone. There wasn't any noise last night, and our area is very quiet this morning, I guess their "2 week" lifespan has ended.
 
It is much better here now, too. The initial heavy invasion of the 17-year ones is pretty much over. They were so pervasive everywhere that it sounded like a contestant UFO hovering over the whole city of Huntsville. Now, we just see a few of them here and there, and not nearly so much noise.
They sure are a noisy little bug if you touch one accidentally and they start that buzzing noise !
 
When I was growing up, we sometimes visited my dad's aunt and uncle during the summer. They lived in Lees Summit, MO. and we would hear the cicadas buzzing most evenings. Now as an adult we have retired in Missouri, and we sit on our porch evening and hear the cicadas many evenings. Bring back wonderful memories of earlier times...
 
That actually looks pretty good.

There is still some noise here, they're not all gone but the sound seems more distant, kind of like The Langoliers.
 

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