Gosh, we have cicadas every spring in the south (no, not in the massive swarm quantities y'all are having) and frequently spend spring evenings sitting on the porch, sipping tea and listening to the "katydids" sing. Their "racket" as y'all are calling it is considered to be something akin to chamber music down here (especially when accompanied by crickets or the occasional whippoorwill call).

Gruniun are little fish!

http://www.cabrilloaq.org/grunion.html

We have tons of cicadas in the southwest burbs. I just did an inspection for a construction house in Western Springs, and there were tons of the little guys in there! They are so loud, I hear them with: windows up, music loud... and I have a loud car!

I think they are a really cool bug. They are one of the longest living insects (other then a queen bee), and definitely one of the loudest - up to 100 decibels!

I am ok with the fact that the visit us once every 17 years.

After this invasion, we do not see them again until 2024.

A few years ago there were supposed to be really bad in Southern Indiana. I barely saw any.

Called my son in San Fran last night as I was driving thru Hinsdale on my way to Lisle and just held the phone out the window for him to hear the din!! The 2 year old son of one of my co-workers just loves them, lines them up in rows.

They are not everywhere here, we have none in our condo complex in Woodridge and young lady that works at Starbucks told me when she was in Chicago over the weekend she saw a whole bunch of people around a tree looking at "ONE BUG". Can come out west of the city if they want to see more, they are flying into people, hair, etc. Looks like the trees are alive as they swarm up the trunk and noticed them in the branches yesterday. Hate to have planned a summer outside wedding this year

We had 1000's of them here!

BTW..threaded on a #1.0 worm hook with no weights..they make a great top water bait for Bass.

Devil Queen, and anyone around 3 years ago....here's our Cicada discussion from back then.

(I ate one and told you about it! )

PS - Some of the websites mentioned in the thread are no longer available, but several are!

OMG, I didn't think they could any louder but I was wrong!!!! The noise is so bad in some places here where I work that conversation outside is difficult.

AND, they are flying everywhere and they don't fly well at all!!! Just took the quick walk to Starbucks and co-worker ended up with one in her hair - - and they scare the bagebbers out of her!

Puppy found one to eat last night, seemed to think it was pretty tasty. We now hear them in our condo complex but not that many. They are flying everywhere and are dying everywhere. Only a couple more weeks and they will be gone for another 17 years.

I so very much could not handle it if we got invaded like that. They freak me out. Seriously. They are scary. Those and June Bugs are definitely the 2 worst summer bugs... I scared my son the other night by screaming and running away from one. He started screaming and crying and wouldn't go back outside. LOL ooops

*ok now I'm confused. I thought Cicadas and locusts were the same thing? Are they? LOL

The snipes will be out soon here for hunting!