The Cicada Saga continues - Page 4

ScarletDove · ‎07-11-2010

As a native Washingtonian (DC) I have lived in the area all my life and experienced Brood X 17-year cicadas 5 times during my life. We had a cool Spring but about 10 days ago it got "hot" and out came the cidadas. I find the song of this seasons awakening to be nature at its best. Yes they are everywhere and watching them fly with birds catching them in flight. My home backs up to Rock Creek Park and I get to hear a heavy song in the forest. I am enjoying this cicada season as it no doubt will be the last time I experience this interesting bit of nature.

novamc1 · ‎07-02-2015

@ScarletDove

I grew up in Fairfax County in the same zip code where DH and I bought a home and lived for 40 years--- only a few miles from Rock Creek Park. Was only away from that area while in college. BUT...........

Never saw or heard of 17-year cicadas until I was in my 30's. I didn't know the VA/DC/Md area had cicadas before that. Very interesting that you experienced 5 cycles of them.

The bugs are hard to live with when you have to go to work every day, raise kids who played outdoor sports during cicada seasons. etc.

Once I started selling real estate after commuting to a government job and working indoors all day, it was almost impossible to market a home well for a while, with so much mess and swarms of bugs.

My only interest in them was knowing when their lives were over and peace and cleanliness could be restored. I do think it's nice that you find their arrival to be interesting and perhaps a little inspirational. It's good to appreciate nature's wonders.

songbird · ‎03-21-2010

I was on campus when they arrived before this one. Because it had a lot o greenness and not much development, they were everywhere. I remember watching the kids chasing each other clutching the bugs. Trying to drop one down the back of a girl's top. They would bring them in the buildings, bragging and daring one another to eat them. It was the first time I really touched and carried one of them in my hand. Oh and they were hopping and flying everywhere! We had some foreign students who had never seen this. Oh and my poor Russian co-worker. We told that the cicadas were going to come out. She didn't believe me. You should have seen face when she saw them! She was scared to death. Everyday she hurried (ran) to and back from the parking garage. I spoke to her the other day (she retired to Southern California) and the first thing she wanted to know was about the cicadas. And we talked about the last time we saw them on Campus. I'm still working at home. I won't be back to campus till the fall, so I'll miss seeing them there.

Lucky Charm · ‎03-09-2010

Okay, so I'm now in NJ and I've never heard of them. They are also supposed to be in NC, but not along the coast? Don't think I've ever seen one there. Owned homes in Delaware along the coast and never saw one. Do they sound like crickets? Are they yet to come to NJ beaches? I'm dreading this! Nothing on the news about them, but we get our news out of Philly which is an hour away. I am freaked out!

novamc1 · ‎07-02-2015

@Lucky Charm

I'm only guessing here, but cicadas might not be plentiful near beach areas due to lack of the tree types where they like to lay their eggs.

Also, when the eggs drop to the ground on schedule, they might not thrive for 17 years in sandy soil near the coast.

The DC area has lots of greenery and tall mature trees. We lived very close to acres of federal parkland in a suburb with plentiful trees. Plentiful cicadas as a result!

Sweetbay magnolia · ‎04-14-2013

Interesting. I'm 40 miles west of DC and I have not seen or heard them (yet). I live in a heavily forested area but it is largely wetlands, and there's been lots of development in the past few years - mega earth moving and blasting so I'm pretty sure that did them in.

I remember the last big brood. I was working outside and the noise was maddening. As if being at work weren't bad enough.

Before that I had a boyfriend with a motorcycle - well, you can imagine what that was like!

Cogito ergo sum

eadu4 · ‎06-14-2011

I'm in Northern VA and we don't have them here. I've been here 21 years and we have never had them. Weird. Glad, because they probably would be all over the pool and in the filter yuck.

novamc1 · ‎07-02-2015

My sister lives in Oakton, VA, (Fairfax County, DC suburb), and says the cicadas are out in force and they are LOUD.

Took her granddaughter out to the backyard and showed her the casings the bugs left behind. The little girl was scared and wanted to get the heck outta there!!

Jersey Born · ‎03-10-2010

Somehow, the idea of eating chocolate covered shrimp doesn't sound very appetizing, @Pook. Yucky!

Of course, in the US, most people are not desirous of eating insects, even though many people in other countries eat insects either as staples in their diet or as deiicacies.

songbird · ‎03-21-2010

For those that can't get enough of the cicadas, the next appearance of Brood X will be 2038. Their actual life span is 4-6 seeks (after they come out) So they should be gone around mid June.