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Friday Afternoon Diversion
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For those of you who work in the suburbs, this Chicagoist writer shares your pain. For those of you downtown, you might find this enlightening. Amusing, even.
Brood update: the west suburbs (Oak Brook, Lombard, Elmhurst, Hinsdale and beyond) are under attack.
They’re big. They’re black. They’re bumbling. And they’re EVERYWHERE.
Packs, no, swarms of the red-eyed buggers are biz-izzing around, apparently with no sense of direction or sense of sight, really. They mill by the thousands in trees. And when they’re done doing “stuff,” they like to pull kamikaze-like stunts to get to the ground.
They attack you while walking. Worse, when standing. They land on your back, your shoulder, your legs. They dive-bomb from the trees overhead into your face. YES. YOUR FACE. Gluing a rolled up newspaper to your hand for instant swatting power is best. Try it, it works.
Cars are the demons’ second choice for harassment. For some reason, they enjoy swarming on the highways and roads. No matter if the large, shiny objects we like to call “cars” have no leaves and like to travel at 60 miles per hour. Like to roll your windows down in the summertime? THINK AGAIN. You would only if you have some sort of death wish. It’s windows up, AC blasting for most people, yes-ir-ee.
They pierce your ears with their synchronized “song.” Seems more like a high-pitched shriek, or shrill. Like suddenly you’re a dog and can hear everything. Awesome. Outdoor barbecues have been canceled. Ice cream socials? What ice cream socials? Not when these bastards are terrorizing the Earth. Staying indoors during the summer never has been quite this good.
An exaggeration? Maybe. Neuroticism? Per chance. Biblical? Definitely. We can’t be certain, but the world might just be ending. At least in Oak Brook.
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Damn right, I'm originally from Hinsdale but live in the city now...I stop by my folks house a few times a week and whenever I'm there it's a fricking swarm...they land on your they fly into you, your car...my windsheild is a mess.
I was out in Palos Hills about a week ago and saw them there. Wow. I haven't seen a single one in my East Village neighborhood.
i haven't seen a single one in the city. what gives?
matty you're not looking in the right places. Come South, they are all over Beverly/Morgan Park.
Nada in Hyde Park. I have a co-worker who takes Metra in from Downers Grove, and he says people waiting for the train get nailed on a regular basis.
They ARE all over the western suburbs... so cool. My parents back yard is like a sci-fi movie. Thankfully, I am not grossed out/scared of them... even "helped" a few out to a nearby tree. I guess I forgot (from last time) that they kind of smell... like old cheese. Anyway, I heard and saw ONE cicada yesterday in Margate Park (Marine Drive btw Lawrence & Foster.) So strange that there aren't more up here...
they are also in roseland but according to a coworker who lives off michigan, cicadas are know as quesadillas in those parts.
It has been said that Cicada infestations are God's way of showing His displeasure toward certain communities. Apparently, Oak Brook is on His shitlist.
Why aren't the cicadas in the city? Too much development? I was in Evanston a couple of weeks ago and saw two, those are my only sightings.
Zack see post 4 and 7.
God, I hate them. I was 4 the last time they were here. They scarred me for life. Nothing has made me happier in the last two weeks--not graduation, not meeting Bill Clinton--then when I hear them pop on my windshield.
Hell is a place where cicadas appear annually.
They do like intersections, it's the weirdest thing. I was at the intersection on North near the Maywood Park track and thousands of the little buggers were doing their best to get inside my car!
I've seen none in Humboldt Park or surrounding areas. What a let down after that all the hype.
They were all over the Chicago Botanic Garden last weekend. And Amelia is right, they seem to love flying into your windshield. Which is odd, considering windshields look nothing like trees. Gross.
The south suburbs are also swarming with them. And the seagulls have followed - stuffing their bellies with dee-lishus bugs.
Another great places for viewing is Waterfall Glenn forest preserve out near Lemont/Darien. I-55 south to Lemont Road south. Entrances is on the left - the sound down there is deafening and fantastic. Bring audio equipment to record it!
The south suburbs are also swarming with them. And the seagulls have followed - stuffing their bellies with dee-lishus bugs.
Another great places for viewing is Waterfall Glenn forest preserve out near Lemont/Darien. I-55 south to Lemont Road south. Entrances is on the left - the sound down there is deafening and fantastic. Bring audio equipment to record it!
They are all over the northern suburbs as well - I commute from Evanston to Lake Forest/Libertyville area and it is VERY loud on much of my drive
I work out in Des Plaines and have gotten used to them over the last week. It is funny watching people in my office building running shrieking from their cars to the safety of the indoors. One woman even sported an umbrella for the 20-ft walk. We are right across from this forest preserve, and the noise is so loud, it sounds like a rainstorm at its height.
For those of you wondering why they're not in the city - remember they are _17 year_ cicadas. That means their burrowing sites have to have remained undisturbed for the last 17 years. That eliminates any parkway trees, or any areas that have been disturbed by new construction, utility trenching, etc. If you live in an area that is cicada-free you should be GLAD. I enjoy spending a few minutes out here, they are curious, but I also enjoy walking around not being constantly dive-bombed or performing the now routine bug-check before heading indoors.
I was driving around in the northern suburbs and TWO cicadas flew into my car!! I had to turn into a corner and use a pen to get rid of those bastards!!
I haven't seen any on bike rides from Hyde Park north to Evanston, Lincolnwood & Skokie.
Wilmette & Glenview are another story, totally infested with the damn things.
Sam: My back yard hasn't been dug up in the last 17 years, neither was my front yard & I don't have them in Rogers Park.
Something else is the reason there aren't any, there are plenty of private yards throughout the city that are untouched in that time.
I suppose you could think about it this way, UCc. Although your yard hasn't been disturbed in the last 17 years, perhaps it was disturbed in the 17 years before that (I don't recall a single cicada in RP 17 years ago), or in the previous cycle before that. It just takes one "disturbance" to break the cycle, then you won't see any more forever (unless they come in from some nearby cicada stronghold during the breeding period). Plus, I have heard/read that sometimes freakish microclimate weather conditions will bring certain areas out of sync with the normal 17 year cycle. For example, our backyard area in Lincoln Square was chock full of cicadas a few years ago (although I don't recall them being all red-eyed like the pics I'm seeing this summer), but there are no beasties to be found this year.
I finally saw the brood yesterday! I was stuck driving out to the burbs and they were all over the Kennedy by O'Hare on my way home. It was so cool.
Maybe some of us need to drive out to the burbs and catch a bunch of them to reintroduce to the city!
I hate the seagulls that come with the bugs far more than I hate cicadas. I remember cicadas when I was six (I live in Beverly), but I don't remember seagulls coming with them.
And in case you were wondering, the devil-spawn insects can also find their way down a chimney through a broken flue.
I'm more creeped out by the "baby" than I am the cool Cicadas. I guess its suppose to be alarming that the Cicada is hitching a ride on the little pink future corporate drone. I say toss it to a Kamado Dragon. Let an over populated species feed a endangered species! Happy Friday!
I wouldn't say they attack...more like they are incredibly stupid. I've seen them fall out of trees and smack the pavment.
@bsutton530 There is also one in my chimney. Drives me freakin nuts.
"I'm more creeped out by the "baby" than I am the cool Cicadas. I guess its suppose to be alarming that the Cicada is hitching a ride on the little pink future corporate drone. I say toss it to a Kamado Dragon. Let an over populated species feed a endangered species! Happy Friday!"
huh??
yea FP, I see your point, I should have added something about "beer" in my post. Cool Cicadas,Baby eating Komodo Dragons, & Beer!
Well, if the cicadas are anything like readers of/contributors to this blog, they'll be in Wicker Park after they graduate from Big Ten U, instantly disavowing all knowledge of the suburbs despite being from there.
Well, if the cicadas are like readers/writers of this blog, they'll appear in Wicker Park after they graduate from Big10 U, and disavow all knowledge of the suburbs despite being from there!!
Well, if the cicadas are like readers/writers of this blog, they'll appear in Wicker Park after they graduate from Big10 U, and disavow all knowledge of the suburbs despite being from there!!
Something definitely is going on, they're not half as bad as they were 17 years ago. I was in Winnetka at the time and I remember my parents shoveling them with snow shovels.
Melissa:
Are you sure it wasn’t "the help" with those shovels?
Hey spook, you have a lot of anger. You should get that checked out. Can't be healthy.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh come on FP, slow your roll! That sh*t was funny! Don't hate, especially so close to happy hour or in a Spook's case "hours" or better yet the next two days!
They're all over the Morton Arboretum but yet they're nowhere to be found in the Naperville, area.