Flying Chicken Nuggets and Vuvuzelas

Early last week I noticed an odd sound off in the distance. It sounded like a constant industrial hum, and it was only during the day, so I assumed it was construction somewhere. Then it got closer, and I realized it was cicadas, a lovely insect I had never encountered until we moved here. I was a little confused, though, since I've never heard that many or seen them this early--usually they don't come out until July or August.

And then I did some reading. Apparently there are two kinds of cicadas in this area: annuals and periodicals. The annuals are the ones we usually see; they spend 2-5 years underground as nymphs, then come up for the summer, make some noise, maybe hang out on my window screen and freak me out (seriously, they look like houseflies the size of my thumb, with giant beady eyes). The periodicals spend 13 or 17 years underground, depending on the brood. But they're not staggered or anything. They stay together--after 13 years underground, all of these nymphs come up at the same time, make a big racket, and then go away for another 13 years. So the gang we have outside right now is Brood XIX, or the Great Southern Brood. They last came out in 1998, and will be back in 2024.

Mabes points out a cicada surrounded by molted skins

They're telling us they'll only be around for another couple of weeks. You can see them swarming in the trees. They are harmless, but annoying when they thunk into the car or land on you while you're running. Apparently they're very high in protein and a delicacy in some countries; one article I read said that dogs and birds see them as flying chicken nuggets. I think I'll pass. Even with our windows closed, you can hear their buzz outside. And when you step outside, it sounds like vuvuzelas and maracas. At their loudest, it's difficult to carry on a conversation outside, and when I come in, my ears are ringing.

Here's Annabelle outside; it's hard to convey how loud it is:

But it'll be over in a couple of weeks, so I think it's kind of interesting while it lasts. I'm not looking forward to the mess of all the dead cicadas, though.