I've been spending a lot of time outside recently, and it's dawned on me over the past several days that I've had to yell over a noisy intruder - yes, it's cicada time. I expect cicadas in August, and while I haven't actually spotted a great number of them, those that are around seem especially noisy to me this year. It's probably a good thing that I don't have a decibel meter to measure the males'
screeching, fingernails-on-blackboard mating calls so I don't have to call
OSHA about my noisy workplace.
The cicadas don't really hurt anything (except my ears), but their incessant noise reminds me too much of a dentist drill, buzzing loudly and constantly in my brain. I wish they could advertise their availability in a quieter way, like lightning bugs!
In the meantime, I'll just wait several weeks, when this year's hatch dies off, and hope that I spot more of these other impressive insects, cicada killer wasps.
whoa - that wasp is scary! I don't mind the cicada - that sound is all summer to me (as are tree frogs, which remind me of our summer beach trips when the girls were young).
ReplyDeleteThe ecosystem of insects (is that the word I want?) and their predators. The whole thing is just impressive as it can be! Sorry about your ears. We have nothing like cicadas in Utah.
ReplyDeleteWe saw one of those wasps on our deck last night and I had no idea what it was - thanks for the identification!
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I LOVE the sound of cicadas and find it soothing. I HATE the cicada killers because they dig holes in the fine rock between my patio paving stones. They are very destructive.
ReplyDeleteI do love the cicadas and the song they give us! Great photo :)
ReplyDeleteI love cicadas (at least . . . their song). I don't like wasps of any kind (too many bad experiences with their stings). I hardly ever SEE cicadas, but hearing them is Pure Summer to me. (Great photos!)
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