Billions of cicadas returning after 17 years

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the emergence of cicadas in the northeastern United States, specifically focusing on the phenomenon of their return every 17 years. Participants share personal experiences, observations, and humorous anecdotes related to the cicadas' lifecycle, their impact on the environment, and the reactions of people to their presence.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants describe the overwhelming number of cicadas expected to emerge, with estimates of up to 1 billion per square mile.
  • Several contributors share personal memories of past cicada emergences, noting the sheer volume of cicadas and the physical remnants they leave behind, such as shells.
  • There are accounts of the noise produced by cicadas, likened to a helicopter, and how it can be disruptive to daily life.
  • Participants express mixed feelings about the cicadas, with some looking forward to their return while others share concerns about the potential chaos they can cause, particularly in vehicles.
  • Humorous references to cicadas' ignorance of human events and their singular focus on mating are made, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
  • One participant mentions the absence of cicadas in their area, suggesting geographical limitations to their emergence.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share a sense of anticipation and nostalgia regarding the cicadas, but there are varying degrees of concern about their impact on daily life. No consensus is reached on the overall sentiment towards their return.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions touch on the geographical distribution of cicadas, indicating that not all areas experience their emergence, which may affect the relevance of personal anecdotes shared.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in entomology, local ecology, or those who have experienced cicada emergences may find this discussion engaging.

Evo
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Every 17 years, the cicadas return to the north east united states. In the next few weeks it is estimated their will be ~1 billion cicadas per square mile.
“In places where they’re going to be present, it’s going to be spectacular. There could be as many as 1 billion cicadas emerging per square mile,” Michael Raupp, a professor of entomology at the University of Maryland, told 1010 WINS. Translation: Ick!

Cicadas spend most of their lives underground. Near the end of their lifespans they emerge to climb trees, shed their exoskeletons, sing, fly and mate. Both females and males die soon after the females lay their eggs. The next generation will emerge in 2030 to repeat the cycle all over again.

Aside from the mess and the loud mating calls, these swarms of critters are harmless. But their homecoming in the last stage of their lives is unforgettable to those who experience it thanks, in part, to how they serenade whole neighborhoods with their loud chorus of chirping.

"Most people say it is like a science-fiction movie UFO sound,” cicada researcher Dan Mozgai wrote to Yahoo News in an email.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/cicadas-coming-151907579.html
 
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Cool! I remember as a youth seeing the massive amounts of shells everywhere. WI usually sees a fair amount.
 
I remember that season in Maryland 2 cycles ago ... just unbelievable the number of them flying around and all those shells on all the trees. A real force of nature.

The Washington beltway got a bit dangerous with all those stupid things whacking into windshields and occasionally slamming into the window frame and startling the drivers.
 
I was there last time. It literally sounded like there was a helicopter outside my house. 24 hours a day for three weeks.

And you'd best not open your mouth outside...
 
My wife was driven crazy by the last big invasion here in 2004. She panicked so bad one time that she almost ran in front of a car. My big fear is that she'll see one in the car while she's driving.
 
Borg said:
My wife was driven crazy by the last big invasion here in 2004. She panicked so bad one time that she almost ran in front of a car. My big fear is that she'll see one in the car while she's driving.

When that big one came that I mentioned above, I was driving a car that had a wing vent and one of them bounced off the vent and smacked me right in the face while I was doing about 70 on the Washington Beltway. A bit scary there for a moment. Hope nothing like that happens to you wife.
 
phinds said:
When that big one came that I mentioned above, I was driving a car that had a wing vent and one of them bounced off the vent and smacked me right in the face while I was doing about 70 on the Washington Beltway. A bit scary there for a moment. Hope nothing like that happens to you wife.
Thanks, phinds. She will definitely have all of the windows closed. I'm more worried about one getting in while she's at work or slipping in as she enters the car and not announcing its presence until she's driving down the road.

Other than that, I'm actually looking forward to it.
 
Looking forward to it as well. In 2004, Brood X emerged in mid May (in central NJ). Our neighborhood had a heavy concentration of them that year.
 
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I guess that it's too cold for them up here; I've never heard of them being in my area.
As for the noise, the neighbours did complain once because the ex- rubbed her legs together during mating, but that ended once I convinced her to shave.
 

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