Cicadas this summer?

[Ragin'Raven]

So we are going to experience Cicadas this summer. I moved from Florida and one of my first thoughts was, "whew...no more love bugs!" And now we're going to be swarmed by billions of cicadas! I'd take them over love bugs any day though! :)

[jus'_crAzy]

About that.  It takes them 17 years for them to get here, but they were here in 2004.  What am I missing?

 

Plus, they tasted disgusting.

[PuRock]

About that.  It takes them 17 years for them to get here, but they were here in 2004.  What am I missing?

 

Plus, they tasted disgusting.

 

I think they are two separate 'broods'.

 

You should dip them in chocolate.  They taste much better then.  

[jus'_crAzy]

You should dip them in chocolate.  They taste much better then.  

 

[MsMarvel73]

There are 13 year and 17 year cicadas, not to mention the dog-day (annual) cicadas that come out every summer (which actually brood underground two years but there are enough of them that they come out every summer).

 

The Wiki on the 13 and 17 year cicadas complete with a chart listing all the broods and their cycles and locations. No 17 year cicadas out here until 2024!!

 

You guys have fun this summer. Watch out for cicada-killer wasps....they can get aggressive.

[PuRock]

There are 13 year and 17 year cicadas, not to mention the dog-day (annual) cicadas that come out every summer (which actually brood underground two years but there are enough of them that they come out every summer).

 

The Wiki on the 13 and 17 year cicadas complete with a chart listing all the broods and their cycles and locations. No 17 year cicadas out here until 2024!!

 

You guys have fun this summer. Watch out for cicada-killer wasps....they can get aggressive.

 

Sounds like the 2004 brood is the more highly concentrated brood.  

 

 

 

If your truly interested.  Here is a great recipe for Cicada Tacos:

http://cicadainvasion.blogspot.com/2011/04/if-you-cant-beat-em-eat-em-cicada.html

 

 

The best time to eat cicadas is just after the nymphs break open their skin and before the exoskeleton turns hard. They are best harvested in the cool of the morning when the insects are more sluggish. Experienced gatherers focus on the adult females, each of which can contain up to 600 nutritious eggs. 

 

Males tend to have hollow abdomens in order to help them make the cicada sound, and are better as a crunchy snack, like popcorn.

 

[Moderator 3]

So in 2004 we had Brood X and this year we get Brood II, I guess. I remember hating the noise and the empty husks everywhere. If there are a lot in your neighborhood, the noise is terrible.

[MsMarvel73]

My cat LOVED eating annual cicadas. Freaked my mom out badly. :lol:

[Purple Nurple]

Man I don't miss that noise but it was so cool as a kid collecting all the husks off the trees. Enjoy!!!

[Moderator 2]

My dog got so sick eating them. I know my kids were really young and I cut my hair really short because they would get tangled up when I walked under the tree.

[Malkavian Raven]

There are 13 year and 17 year cicadas, not to mention the dog-day (annual) cicadas that come out every summer (which actually brood underground two years but there are enough of them that they come out every summer).

 

The Wiki on the 13 and 17 year cicadas complete with a chart listing all the broods and their cycles and locations. No 17 year cicadas out here until 2024!!

 

You guys have fun this summer. Watch out for cicada-killer wasps....they can get aggressive.

 

Cicada-killer wasps are not aggressive, unless they are provoked and quite relentlessly at that.

 

If you want to have fun with a cicada-killer wasp though, just find out where they are nesting (usually in soft, loose soil like on baseball diamonds or golf courses)... when you see the mother return with food, she will set it down outside of the nest.  She will then retreat inside the nest to check to see if her eggs are still there... at this point, take the food she has left.  She will continue to go in and out of the nest, eventually dying this way (from what I've heard).  I'm not that cruel, so I put the food back and all returned to normal.

 

Also, there was a big debacle several years ago where the House of Representatives (or maybe the Senate) was meeting, but they refused to go into the building because there was a swarm of cicada-killer wasps hanging around outside of the Capitol Building.  They called an entomologist in to tell them it was safe.  Quite hilarious actually.

 

I love cicada-killer wasps.  Cicadas are nice too though.  Love the sound they make, especially on a chilly spring night around a camp fire.... *nostalgic*

 

DID YOU KNOW: Cicada-killer wasps generally tunnel their burrows to the south, as to catch the mid-morning sun?  Also, after they've finished their burrows, they take several passes at flying over it, each time getting further away -- as to memorize it's location.

[berad]

So I'm going to be carrying around a fly-swatter all summer? Awesome! Maybe I should upgrade to a tennis racket.

[Malkavian Raven]

So I'm going to be carrying around a fly-swatter all summer? Awesome! Maybe I should upgrade to a tennis racket.

 

Garlic, fish emulsion, mineral oil and castile soap... mix well, spray it wherever you don't want them to be.

 

Speaking of bees, spraying your house once a month with citris oil will keep bees from building nests. ;)

 

Country life is so fun.

[Moderator 2]

I have the worlds coolest bug zapper-- it's like a tennis racket with a capacitor and you zap flies and Mosquitos with it .

[Purple Nurple]

So I'm going to be carrying around a fly-swatter all summer? Awesome! Maybe I should upgrade to a tennis racket.

A badminton racquet would work better. ;)

[berad]

A badminton racquet would work better. ;)

 

My younger brother and I actually did that when they came out, a few years ago. It was super effective

[Purple Nurple]

My younger brother and I actually did that when they came out, a few years ago. It was super effective

I have no doubt. Very lightweight and a great swatting surface!

[T3hRaven]

My younger brother and I actually did that when they came out, a few years ago. It was super effective

 

[berad]

I have no doubt. Very lightweight and a great swatting surface!

 

No escape through the tiny meshing

[Purple Nurple]

No escape through the tiny meshing

Not for those damn things, no. I kind of miss that noise now that I think about it.

[Purple Nurple]

Ooo. Clever.