The cicadas will drive me insane.
Seriously, this is going to go on for a few more weeks?!? Yikes. In case you don't live where cicadas are, here's a quick rundown. Every 13 years, a group of insects called Brood 19 emerges from the ground. They've been waiting to hatch for over a decade, and they waste no time in droning out a mating call for several hours every day. They congregate on trees and bushes and can really be quite hard on the greenery. They're big, ugly, flying things, a little like locusts. One theory is that they come out in such numbers so that birds and other predators literally get tired of their taste and leave them alone after a while. I can believe it.
At first, I couldn't hear them at my house. I wondered what the big ugly bugs were doing (dead) on my doorstop, but there weren't that many, so I didn't think much of it. Then I visited my parents this past weekend... my gosh, I thought I would go deaf! The drone was incredibly loud, even inside the house. I quickly turned on a fan for some white noise, but it only partially helped. After all, I had to take the doggies out for their walks.
When I got back to my home, I realized, yes, they are here, but the tone is different. Higher-pitched, just a little less disturbing, but still present. As I drove home with my window down, I discovered they very much prefer certain trees to others. The volume changed significantly between one grove of trees and the next! I didn't have time to determine if it was tree species or proximity to people or what that could have influenced their preference. I just know, it's quite a relief to know they don't seem to care much for my yards.
Wow, just had the thought... the last time they emerged, I hadn't even met Michael! I was in college... maybe their drone contributed to the burnout I felt that last summer of classes.
Maybe by the time I'm back from London, Brood 19 will have shut up for another 13 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment