You've probably heard the news that this summer two different batches of cicadas will be hatching. One is the the every 13 year brood and the other is every 17 years. The 13-year bunch is called Brood XIX and the 17-year cicadas are Brood XIII. Not every part of the United States will be visited by these critters, but Illinois, where I live, is getting both.
I remember the last big cicada summer. My neighborhood was not much affected because the subdivision had been built between hatching and construction had destroyed many of the hibernating (?) insects. But other areas were really affected. We like to visit Ravinia, a summer music venue north of Chicago, near Lake Michigan. (Chicagoans just call it the Lake.) Ravinia is a lovely wooded venue. That summer cicadas were falling out of the trees. Very creepy. I'm not sure which brood that was.
We do have lesser amounts cicadas every summer. I recall my cat (no longer with us) bringing live cicadas to the back door. She wanted to bring his new pet inside to play with. (FYI, she was not an outdoor cat, but she was extremely smart and clever and often snuck out the back door when someone was going in or out.)
I don't think my neighborhood will escape the cicada influx this summer. I'm hoping our local wildlife will find them tasty. Though we are in a suburb about 30 miles from Chicago, we have raccoons, coyotes, possums, and of course squirrels and birds living alongside us.
I'm not much of a hat wearer, but I think I will be wearing hats a lot more this summer.
I don't remember ever having a cicada infestation anywhere I lived. Not complaining, mind you. Cats just love toys that move on their own. arjeha
ReplyDeleteThat is very true about cats, and a definite benefit if a family of mice decides to move in.
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