Cicadas generation X

[xsubsailor]

Looks like you folks in Eastern Tn. may be having a few visitors before long. 

As the summer of 2004 waned, so did the lifespan, just a few weeks long, of those adult cicadas, and the larvae of the next generation dropped back to the earth where they would spend the next 17 years.

This spring -- 17 years later -- those cicadas are part of Brood X (ominous as the "X" sounds, it stands for the Roman numeral ten) and for all that time they have been underground eating and growing.

Researchers aren't sure exactly how many will surface, except that it will be in the billions: They estimate the numbers will be at least 1.5 million per acre, which could mean as many as 30 of the creatures covering your average square foot.

 

 

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cicada-invasion-17-years-underground-billions-emerge-spring/story?id=76921532

[Garufa]

Bring it on.  I actually enjoy listening to the cicadas...and terrorizing Mrs. Garufa with their shells.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Garufa

[hipower]

Well, if I don't have to go out and fight them...lol.  We have experienced two really bad times with them. Both involved our dogs.

A long haired Chow was for some reason just like catnip for a cat to them. Cody would venture out and just be attacked by them. It was miserable for her. the critters seemed attracted to her fur. We spent a long summer trying to keep her clean. She would just roll around on the ground trying to get them off, so crushed cicada guts and long black hair was not a good combination we found.

The second time, the first actually,(I got my times in reverse) was with a pair of Huskies. One long hair and one short hair pair. They absolutely loved to chase and crunch on the cicadas. Seemed to like the taste of them apparently. But it left them with horrible smelling breath!

Our Molly, a Border Collie mix, has never seen them. I don't know what to expect from her.

EDITED  Hmmm. Looking at the above chart, thanks xsubsailor, Nashville area might not be bad. Actually might miss out until 2024. But that's just my guesswork looking at the projections on that map.

Edited April 26, 2021 by hipower

[Erik88]

I don't understand this. They claim they only come out every 17 years but some variation of these news articles happen every year. I hear cicadas every summer. I guess that some years are worse than others? 

 

 

[Garufa]

There are different broods that emerge every year.  This is one of the bigger ones.

[Quavodus]

I've heard they're great fish bait.

[Garufa]

17 minutes ago, Quavodus said:

I've heard they're great fish bait.

You can eat them as well, if you’re so inclined.

[E4 No More]

42 minutes ago, Garufa said:

You can eat them as well, if you’re so inclined.

When we first moved down here to Nashville they had a great Cicada invasion. There were Asians scooping them up to take home and cook.