Every since I met him, my husband has talked a lot about the cicada invasion 13 years ago. He’d talk about mowing the yard and getting dive bombed by them. He’d talk about how they were just everywhere. He’d talk and I’d nod along thinking, “Uh… yeah. Okay. Sure.”
Honey? I take it back. I am sorry I didn’t REALLY believe you.
I grew up with cicadas buzzing in the trees in the summer. It was not a big deal! It’s part of summer’s soundtrack to me. The days get hot and the cicadas sing at the top of their little… lungs?
Then the articles started to emerge that this was the year that THE CICADAS WOULD RETURN. It was all over the news like the plague was being forecast. This was a big deal.
And yet still, I listened with a, “Yeah, okay. Sure. Whatever.” attitude.
Then last Saturday, I saw my first cicada. They had ARRIVED. Or rather emerged.
It was the first moment that I went, “Uhm. There just might be something to this whole cicada invasion thing.” Literally, 24 hours later, my husband pointed out that the tree in our backyard was covered — COVERED — in cicadas.
Uh oh.
It’s only gone downhill from there… and its expected to get worse before it gets better.
I have to — HAVE TO — sweep off the porch every day. It’s not a case of being able to wait until the next day. No, if I wait, the little cicada bodies would be about an inch deep. It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve ever experienced.
They are in the trees and on bushes. And when the cling on to something, they hold on tight! I can hardly knock them off the house with a broom!
A pressure washer works pretty well, though. They can’t seem to fight off a high-powered water stream. That’s kind of fun.
But… as we go along… they are starting to fight back. Today, going to check the mailbox, I had to duck a few times as they dive bombed my head! After I cleaned up the porch, one decided to ride into the house with me on my back. How did I find out about it…
IT CRAWLED UP THE BACK OF MY NECK!!!!!!
The first little tickle, I thought it was a tendrel of hair came loose from my messy clip-action I did today. Then… it was still moving even though I wasn’t. You can bet I got it off fast and I am STILL getting the heebie jeebies from it!
IÂ can’t wait to see what happens when we mow our lawn. Might have to go buy a hard hat or something.
Again, I owe my husband an apology for not really believing him and his tales of cicadas 13 years ago! I heard they should be gone by mid-June. Can’t get here soon enough for me! They’ve been around a week, and I’m already over it!
But. That being said… their buzzing is loud, but its just a part of summer to me… As long as they stay off my neck and away from my head, I don’t mind the buzz in the air. (Not YET atleast…)
I grew up west of Nashville and the only time I dealt with them last time was hearing them in the trees. The breed that effects where I grew up must have been there when I was too little to remember. So yeah, I’ve seen them not and thankfully, they aren’t swarming my apt… just the trees surrounding us. Can’t wait. :|
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I saw on the news that they are going to be worst where there were a lot of trees 13 years ago. So I wonder how bad its going to be at some of these new developments where they took out a patch of trees to slam up 20 houses in the big housing boom. ;) There’s a weird irony to that… lose the trees, keep the cicadas!
Love the singing! Reminds me of summertime, out in the backyard at sunset. :) As for dive-bombing cicadas… no thanks. Keep them in TN. LOL We’ve got a thing of fleas going on… not in my neighborhood, thankfully, but Sarah has had an awful time of getting rid of fleas. She’s had the area and house sprayed twice by pest control and has done countless flea bombs inside. It’s because it’s so dry. I hope we don’t get any sort of “plague” or any kind!
OH NO!! Cicadas atleast don’t bite! Fleas… yuck. Friends of ours have been dealing with ticks quite a bit, too. Those give me the heebie jeebies.
Singing cicadas are just a part of summer, I agree!! They really don’t bother me… not yet. And since its been so cold, they’ve quieted down a lot. Supposed to warm up this weekend, though, so we’ll see what happens…