A Cicada Emerges from its ShellHAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYONE ! This is suppose to be the weekend when we get the 17 year Cicada emergence . Every time you turn on the radio or television there's something about the cicadas coming. Even the Chicago Tribune had an editorial on it this morning and they have an interactive map to record sightings of the cicadas.
Someone also has a lot of time on their hands, coming up with some far-out recipes on cooking cicadas.
Since I've been in Chicago, I've yet to see a cicada. I hear them at night, singing their peculiar song, but have never seen one.
A lot of people are panicking and wrapping their trees and shrubs in cheesecloth or netting which is supposed to remain until mid-July. We may be seeing a new style of gardens in the area.
A few of my clients have called and asked me for advice about what to do . Common sense tells me that if you don't live on a farm or near the forest, chances are you won't see one. There's been so much construction in the city and suburbs that has destroyed the submerged cicadas.
I don't remember hearing as much hype 17 years ago about the cicadas . Oh well, maybe after this weekend we can put it behind us until the next time.
We had a big brood of 17 year cicadas a few years ago down here in Indianapolis. It, too, caused a lot of media frenzy and funny t-shirt opportunities, but not much overall damage.
ReplyDeleteall of this circada buzz is starting to 'bug' me
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen any funny t-shirts, Carol, but a recipe for cicada soup and pie is pretty funny as well. Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day.
ReplyDeleteMost of the worry is unnecessary, and the Cicadas are fascinating, but during the last hatch in 1990, we found out that netting young fruit trees is not a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there were plenty of larger trees available, the egg-laying females were attracted to our small fruit trees in numbers that were out of proportion to the number of limbs.
Since the trees were not yet established, it took them a couple of seasons to recover from having so many twigs lost to egg-slits.
But everything else was just fine, so enjoy them!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
You're right, Annie, about netting young or small trees/shrubs. The Morton Arboretum put out an advisory on that. Thus far, Glenview has had the most sightings of cicadas.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that the cicadas are emerging already. I seems like a late July-Aug. event if I remember correctly.
ReplyDeleteHi Ki,
ReplyDeleteYou may be confusing it with how long they stay -which is until sometime in July. They emerge in late May to early June depending on the soil temperature. I haven't seen one yet but the news media covered major cicada emergings in the northern suburban areas.