Chicagoist: Brood XIII: They Reap What They Have Sown

Diana

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 00:09:45 -0600

I'm in Olympia Fields and the Cicadas are CRAZY here! We have alot of trees and we back up to the woods. My daughters do think they are very cool and I do too, as long as they don't land on me! They are getting louder every day!

Dina

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 20:40:10 -0600

They are here!!! April 20, 2007 and they are emerging in Highland Park, our yard is covered with small holes, yuck!

laura

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:18:21 -0600

they're horrible, and yet very interesting. i was 10 and lived in park ridge last time they came up. they covered every tree truck in the neighborhood and left piles of dead shells everywhere. by the time they were getting ready to go back underground we weren't even phased by them anymore, just glad they were going back to sleep. if there are trees, there will be cicadas.

leah

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 10:25:21 -0600

Did you know that cicadas are the only insects that sweat? The sound from a single male cicada can be as loud as 90 decibels, or as loud as a kitchen blender. I can't wait for these suckers to get here. It's going to be so fun. And delicious. CICADA MANIA.

Ferdy

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 08:47:14 -0600

Yup, I know the 17-year are not the same as the annual and that they can create a mess. But since this is kind of an every year problem for me (though not necessarily crunchy underfoot), I'm not that wowed, I suppose.

Kim

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 22:53:31 -0600

I calculated it for 60625 and got May 30? Am I doing something wrong? Average mean temp in April is 4 celsius?

SnakeMan

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:02:13 -0600

They are really good in a stir-fry with cabbage and carrots! Hopefully Green Zebra will put some of this "natural" and "local" cuisine on their menu this summer!

SnakeMan

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:56:07 -0600

They are really good in a stir-fry with cabbage and carrots! Hopefully Green Zebra will put some of this "natural" and "local" cuisine on their menu this summer!

Mo

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 17:29:10 -0600

I grew up in NC, and I don't remember any hibernating broods, but we had the annual cicadas, and I LOVED to find their shells on trees. I collected them and made armies, but they were scarce, so it was special to see them. Sometimes I would hook them on the backs of people's shirts and wait to see if they found them and freaked out. (No, I don't have a boyfriend, why do you ask?) So I'm kinda excited to see this emergence, even if it's gross. How long does it last?

sara

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:59:45 -0600

i was 8 years old when the last cycle of cicadas hit, and i lived in the country (basically), and it was the MOST AMAZING THING EVER! at least for a little kid who plays outside all day. it was just totally totally bizarre. i'm getting really upset hearing from city people that they don't really remember this. that means there probably aren't very many here. boo. what could be more exciting than a plauge of insects? it really livens things up.

thundercougarfalconbird

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:51:56 -0600

And maybe it's because I live a mile from the nearest tree, or possibly because I grew up in the middle of BFE, but I sort of find the sounds of cicadas soothing. Not a wedding, though.

lulu

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:44:46 -0600

Fancypants--If you live near a park, or if you live in a neighborhood that is mostly single-family homes with yards, it can be bad. I think I read somewhere that places with lots new construction won't be as bad because the dirt has all been dug up and displaced. I might have imagined that though. I remember these from last time. The shells were 6-7 inches deep in some parts of the streets.

Julene

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:42:58 -0600

My coworker and I were just discussing cicadas and then I see this. I read somewhere (and no, I refuse to go find it again) that it depends if the soil has been tilled or messed around with recently which would kill all the eggs/babies/nits - whatever. So if you live near new construction - it's likely there won't be so many, but if you're in an older section of the city where there is less new development - there will be cicadas galore. To the tune of 1-2 million every acre.

mike

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:41:54 -0600

I've heard they're not as bad in the city. But 17 years ago, I was a caddy at Oak Park Country Club. I can tell you from grim experience that they were bad there. You couldn't walk across a fareway without stepping on a few dozen. And the drone was nigh unbearable.

Fancypants

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:30:53 -0600

Are they bad in the city at all?? i'm 28, and i don't recall much cicada activity back in the day, growing up in Lake View.

thundercougarfalconbird

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:16:44 -0600

@ Ferdy, Some other species of cicadas are annual and others are on a 17 year cycle. The reason for the long 17 year cycle ones is because it allows them to outlive most of their predators, thus when they come out, bug-eaters have no idea what to do with them. The annual ones have some sort of bitter taste to them (I have no idea, I just repeat what I have read. Apparently Monarch Butterflies and Ladybugs have the same bad taste.) so they've evolved past the need for a long cycle. Predators don't want to eat them. Speaking of awesome nature facts, anyone else obsessing over "Planet Earth" on the Discovery Channel? Between the giant cicada infestation footage, a polar bear attacking (and losing to) a walrus, twelve lionesses taking down an elephant, and a freaking one ton shark jumping 30 feet in the air to take down a seal, this is most action packed nature show EVER. Every week, you're guaranteed at least 3-5 animal vs. animal fights.

geekgrrl

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:15:15 -0600

oh MAN... my sister's wedding. in june. me in strapless dress. under trees. not. happy.

K.

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:11:23 -0600

Ferdy, those aren't the variety we're talking about here. There are cicadas, of a variety I do not know, that are around every summer and buzz and make noise. These? Only come every seventeen years. and you'll know it when you see them. They are sticky and disgusting and cover everything the eye can see. You'll be walking down the street and look down and see two on your shoulder, every step you take is crunchy...it's enough to make me want to move somewhere with no trees for the month of June.

Jess

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:08:45 -0600

oh, they aren't that bad. At least they're on par or less annoying than the weather today. bleargh.

Ferdy

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:57:40 -0600

Seventeen years? HA! I have them on the side of my building at the end of the summer EVERY YEAR. Ear-splitting buzzing only steps away! Since when did the rest of you catch on to this?