It happens every 13 years in the spring. One by one the shed skins appear on the exterior walls of houses, fences, tree trunks, plants and even hats.
From these skins appear huge (1 1/2 inch) winged adults with orange eyes ready to move and make some noise.
They are EVERYWHERE; millions of them. The noise is deafening, reverberating, anything but pleasing to the human ear.
Every morning and early evening it sounds as though aliens are arriving. These invaders are buzzing, humming, flying around, laying on the ground, on the porch, in the bushes and all for what? To mate, lay eggs in trees and die. Apparently the humming sound is music to the ears of these alien females. The eggs fall to the ground, burrow into the ground only to emerge as nymphs in 13 years.
Welcome to the life of 13 year cicadas. Check out this cicada blog maintained by Clemson University entomologists. And no, I do not have a recipe for Cicada Cake or Cicada cookies :)
Every morning and early evening it sounds as though aliens are arriving. These invaders are buzzing, humming, flying around, laying on the ground, on the porch, in the bushes and all for what? To mate, lay eggs in trees and die. Apparently the humming sound is music to the ears of these alien females. The eggs fall to the ground, burrow into the ground only to emerge as nymphs in 13 years.
Welcome to the life of 13 year cicadas. Check out this cicada blog maintained by Clemson University entomologists. And no, I do not have a recipe for Cicada Cake or Cicada cookies :)
