I won't repeat the entire article, but you may read it for
yourself if you care to click on the highlighted link for Brood
II, the name being given to the huge event.
The article really downplayed the scope of the cicada
lifecycle that people will be plagued with in eastern states all the way from
North Carolina to Connecticut. And
there is nothing to keep them from spreading to other New England states as
well.
As I detailed in my former column, these critters make one
heck of a racket. The males sing to
attract the females to engage in the only activity they are there for,
S-E-X. The noise is loud and long, and
with as many as 1-million-bugs-per-acre, that sound will be multiplied enough
to drive a sane person crazy.
If you happen to live in one of the affected states, you are
in for a serenade the likes of which you can hardly imagine. Or maybe you can imagine it, if you think
about a high-pitched scream and then hear it at about 90 decibels. Cicadas love to sing in the morning and
evening, so don't plan on any early or late patio sitting this spring.
The article also states that most people will not even see
the cicadas, but I don't believe that for a second. They are about an inch long, and they all have one thing in
common: after they mate the males die.
The female gets to lay her fertilized eggs--up to 600 of them--and then
she also expires. Birds are pretty good
scavengers, but I doubt that they can consume that many carcasses. Yes, folks, there will be bodies
galore! Be prepared for the
crunch-crunch of carapaces under your shoes.
I thought the stink bugs I encountered up in Maryland and Virginia
a few years ago were bad, but at least they didn't make any noise. They were just ubiquitous and a
nuisance. The cicadas threaten to be a
real hazard to your mental health.
It would be nice if I could avoid the northeast for the next
couple of months, but I have made plans to visit my son up in Maryland later
this month, so I'm afraid I'll be caught up in the middle of the invasion. Hint: I'm taking earplugs with me.
Oh, in case you want to see what the cicada looks like, and
you don't want to take the time to click on the link above, here is a picture
of one. Nasty looking, aren't they?
