I used to work in a old town. By that I mean an old established town with big, old trees. It seems the more trees, the more cicadas. Well it's almost like experiencing them again for the first time. See my oldest son is 17 and will be 18 on August 1. The last time they arrived, he wasn't old enough to know what the heck they were, he wasn't even 1 yet. I guess we tried to keep him away from them as much as possible. I do remember going for walks at lunch and the only things you would hear is the cicada sounds, which are actually locust sounds, and the crunch, crunch, crunch you heard with each and every step. You couldn't help but crunch their shells. They were everywhere.
Fastforward 17 years and here we are in 2007. Now I live in an older house with big old trees. Guess what I'm expecting??? CICADAS. Those big green bugs with red beady eyes. They still have 9 days before their predicted arrival, but obviously some don't understand the concept of the mass emergence. Some are digging the big holes and getting an early start. We moved the trampoline and the basketball hoop and we found these. All four of us were truly mesmorized by them.
These two are out with their dried shells. They will grow and crack out or molt out of their shell and will become these huge flying creatures.
Finding these two were truly more interesting because they are clear/white and they are trying to get themselves out of their holes. It looks quite laborous. They move and stop and move and stop. There are holes all around there and when most emerge, there is a huge clod of dirt all mounded up with a hole through it. It is like they create a cave and bring the cave out with them. I have no idea how an insect can sleep for 17 years and still know when to come out. Heck I hope they don't strip our leaves completely from the trees. I want my shady yard to enjoy this year.
I'll try to capture some of the beady-eyed monsters when we see more of them.
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