My Cicadamentary

[kstylianos]

For you guys who don't get these every 17 years

[Adam]

I hate those noisy bastids!

They drive me completely crazy during Summer. Before our local water restrictions were enacted, you could hose the tree that they hide in and they'd shut up for hours.

Do you breed them or something, Charlie? Nice photos, btw.

[mattdavis11]

The every seventeen years thing has me confused. We used to take bb guns all over the neighborhood, every summer, and hunt them. We would catch then inject them, tape fire crackers, well never mind, you get the point. Maybe it a regional thing?

[Doug Zielke]

Cute little...err...buggers. Might make a nice pet, eh?
They have such soulful eyes.

[RickM]

Charlie, Nice pics. You take them?

I haven't seen or heard any here in NJ. Are they done for the season?

[kstylianos]

Hey Rick,

My GF and I took a walk one evening during the first couple days of their 'arrival'. She didnt remember them too well from 17 years ago and neither did I, so we were both interested to see them in action. We walked around the neighborhood with a flashlight and a digital camera watching them come out of their holes, find a comfy place to molt their shells, dry and then fly off.......

She was the 'lighting expert' and I took the pics with a Cannon A70 using the macro feature literally 1-2" from the subject. Wish I brought a mono-pod as it was really tough keeping the camera still enough in those dark conditions. Shot about 75 pics, about 10-15 came our reasonably well.

BTW: I heard the didnt stretch very far north or south of the DC area. They are done for the this cycle, may see a couple here/there but the majority are done mating, laying and dying

[RickM]

Oh, good. So we got off up here.

I remember them 17 years ago....same year I met my wife. Think there's any hidden meaning there?

[Moneyguy1]

I'll stick with the occasional scorpion, thank you!!!!!

[Adam]

You guys are lucky - we get them every friggin' year!

[Moses]

Any trout streams nearby? I'll bet the big browns would feast on those juicy buggers!

[UconnTim97]

We were fortunate inthe Philly area, I haven't seen or heard any. I do remember them when I was groing up in New England though.

[mattdavis11]

Well I'm sitting on the back patio just moments ago, and hear a cicada sounding in distress "errk" and it sounded very close. It makes the noise many more times, enough to grab my interest to find out where it is. During that time our black lab has been near or by my side the the whole 5 minutes. I looked around for awhile, and she was by my side as I searched. I heard the noise again looking at the dog, and I'll be dipped in sh#t. I opened her mouth, which she reluctantly allowed, and there it was! She didn't kill it, but just wanted to hang onto it. I turned it loose. On top of other things she hunts, cicadas are on the list too.

[pwd72s]

That's funny!

[rcecale]

Found this little fella in my backyard today. Looks like it's split up the middle along the back so I'm thinking the "new" one has made it on it's way. Ugly sunufagun, isn't he?...her?...


Randy