17 year Cicadas... who's got 'em?

Mongo

Mongo

Joined
Nov 5, 2001
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Hey all, was just out in front of my house, and saw at least 500 newly emerged cicadas coming from about a 20' by 15' patch of lawn. Creepy! If you stand out there and listen, you can hear this scratching noise from the trees and lawn. This is just the beginning too, my neighbor says it will get biblical soon.

So, who has them? What are your memories of them from 17 and 34 years ago? 51 years ago?
 
I've been waiting for them for a few days. I have my air-rifle all ready to go, but no cicadas:(

Edit:Also in Illinois, where are you located Mongo, I'm in Naperville.
 
Mongo said:
Hey all, was just out in front of my house, and saw at least 500 newly emerged cicadas coming from about a 20' by 15' patch of lawn. Creepy! If you stand out there and listen, you can hear this scratching noise from the trees and lawn. This is just the beginning too, my neighbor says it will get biblical soon.

So, who has them? What are your memories of them from 17 and 34 years ago? 51 years ago?
Click to expand...
I happened to be on the east cost the last time they came around. Biblical is a good word for it.........I can't even explain the noise and the sheer numbers. Good luck.:D
 
i remember those things, i cant remember whether it was last year or two ago. but i work at a car wash and we had to scrap those damn things off the front of cars. some cars were coming in looking like they drove through a flock of birds
 
Gonna be a long while before we have them again. Just had Brood X in 2004. I love the little(not really little actually) things. I remember playing with them when I was much much younger, so seeing them the second time was just cool.

They're actually completely different from locusts(which are what people usually mistake them for.) Cicadas are harmless, they don't sting, they don't bite, and they are not considered pests. Locusts will devour any vegetation they come across. Cicadas do nothing but make lots of noise, but the same can be said of humans as well;)
 
A couple of years ago one landed on the screen of my bedroom window at about 6:30 am, right above my head. The sound was deafening!
 
Scott, yours must navigate better than ours ;) They may not bite or sting, but they do fly right into things (windows, trees, cars, people, etc.) Trust me, when you ride a motorcycle, they ARE pests :D
 
I remember in 1979 and again in 1996 the roadways were slick and glistening with their dead corpses. Bicycle riding and motorcycle riding are almost out-of-the-question until they breed and then subsequently die-off with their offspring scheduled to return in 2013. Cicadas are a real treat!
 
I saw a short piece on the news, yesterday I think, about a lady who knows dozens of ways to prepare Cicadas as food and drink. Her husband was there, popping down a deep fried one. "Nutty tasting," he said. Uhh, yeah,... No thanks.
 
Brood X emerged here during May / June of 2004. Unbelievable numbers of these things. They were everywhere.
 
I remember an emergence back in NJ, maybe it was 2004. We used to a hike in a wooded area, the ground was peppered with holes and the it was noisy! Doubt we'll have them in the desert.

Win
 
We had a 17-year "emergence" back about 5 years ago. Wasn't too bad where we live, which is pretty urbanized. Our son lives out in the suburbs South of here, and the critters were absolutely deafening.
 
The Cicada Killers are cool! I haven't seen any around here in years, though. I do remember seeing more of them back in the 60's, along with the cicadas they prey upon. They're pretty scary looking when your age is still in the single digits ;)
 
I love them!!!
We never get the big herds of em like you lucky buggers though! Couple years ago I was out back cutting some wood on my table saw and one flew into my chest and landed on my shirt and started climbing up so I put it on a bush. Few minutes later, here it comes again. Did this three or four times. Last time I put it on the trunk of a magnolia tree and it started climbing straight up and I never saw it again! I guess they go for high ground to mate. My parents say they used catch em and tie thread to em and walk around with em flying, like they were on a leash.
 
Brood X was pretty awesome in 2004. The noise reminded me of the phasers in the original Star Trek - only louder and constant.
 
Dayummmm, it's starting to get biblical at my house. My back stoop was nearly covered with them this morning. I took some pics yesterday and will attempt to post them this afternoon.

What are "cicada killers"? Wasp? Bird?
 
Where're ya located, Mongo.....??

I live in an older part of the Wheaton/Carol Stream area and I've got nuthin'....:(

Mom's got 'em in Hinsdale and my sister in Westmont has 'em....Their dogs are gainin' weight everyday:D

Hope we get 'em soon...our dogs want thier share...

Bob T.
 
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