Wednesday, August 5, 2015

They're Back!

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.


6 comments:

  1. 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).

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  2. The 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.

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  3. We saw one of those wasps on our deck last night and I had no idea what it was - thanks for the identification!

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  4. Interesting. 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.

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  5. I do love the cicadas and the song they give us! Great photo :)

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  6. I 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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