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Cicadas 2021 - Brood X


FXW176
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36 minutes ago, George BM said:

So... about thirty minutes ago I had a cicada land near my left wrist and stick its drinking stick into that region to start drinking. I assume that this is normal cicada behavior and has happened to many of you? 

Can't say I've had them try to "drink" from my hand before, or lay eggs.

Maybe you found a vamp-cada, trying to suck your blood!  If you wake up tomorrow with an urge to yell "Phaaaaa-rooooh" all day long, that might be a concern! :lol:

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22 hours ago, PhineasC said:

Imagine how loud it must have been hundreds of years ago before all the development. 

I have been wondering about this. Any ecologists or entomologists on the board? I think it's safe to assume that paving streets and building structures removes their habitat and reduces their numbers, but what's the ideal cicada habitat? Is it dense forest? Or do they prefer more open, meadow-tree boundary zones? I haven't had a chance to go out for a hike or anything... what are they like in the woods? They seem to do just fine in the mostly tree-covered suburbs. Do they do better with specific trees? So many cicada questions, so little time

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3 hours ago, Paleocene said:

I have been wondering about this. Any ecologists or entomologists on the board? I think it's safe to assume that paving streets and building structures removes their habitat and reduces their numbers, but what's the ideal cicada habitat? Is it dense forest? Or do they prefer more open, meadow-tree boundary zones? I haven't had a chance to go out for a hike or anything... what are they like in the woods? They seem to do just fine in the mostly tree-covered suburbs. Do they do better with specific trees? So many cicada questions, so little time

Based on the flagging near my house, they love oaks for laying eggs at least. Actually didn’t see as many on the oaks though.

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45 minutes ago, WxUSAF said:

Based on the flagging near my house, they love oaks for laying eggs at least. Actually didn’t see as many on the oaks though.

They are definitely more numerous in certain types of trees, at least more so than others. I don’t know which they prefer though.

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13 hours ago, WxUSAF said:

Getting some flagging on trees in my yard. Lots on my oak and some on other trees.

our weeping cherry in the front doesn't have many shells on it, but they are all in the canopy. can hear them flying about. 

A lot emerged from our oak in the backyard. we have hostas planted around the base of the tree, that are now trampled because the dogs spent so much time cicada hunting over the last couple weeks. lol

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OK it's getting real here now!

Over 40dB in the house, windows closed AC on.

Went out by the garden and it's in the upper 70s.  By the oak tree which sounds very 'alive' (think trees dripping after a shower) and it's in the upper 80s!  All a weighted decibels.  Quite loud buggers.

Funny how they are as loud in a closed house now as they were 3 weeks ago with the windows open.

Another interesting thing is they sing at night.  Not as loud and not all the time.  It comes and goes.  But by 4AM when the birds are chirping they are singing quite loud.

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16 hours ago, WxUSAF said:

Getting some flagging on trees in my yard. Lots on my oak and some on other trees.

I was coming into this thread to mention this.  Noticeable now on my oaks and very light on a few others (river birch, witch hazel, dogwood).  Nothing on our japanese maples, which is what we were most concerned about.  I did cover about 10 "vulnerable" trees, but clearly not tight enough because they made it inside.  Hoping it is enough of a deterrent to keep the ladies from doing their thing, though. 

Also, the sound has really ramped down in the last couple of days and fewer are flying.  Feels like last weekend might have been the peak here.

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15 minutes ago, MN Transplant said:

I was coming into this thread to mention this.  Noticeable now on my oaks and very light on a few others (river birch, witch hazel, dogwood).  Nothing on our japanese maples, which is what we were most concerned about.  I did cover about 10 "vulnerable" trees, but clearly not tight enough because they made it inside.  Hoping it is enough of a deterrent to keep the ladies from doing their thing, though. 

Also, the sound has really ramped down in the last couple of days and fewer are flying.  Feels like last weekend might have been the peak here.

Yeah, noticed that the singing hasn't been as intense the past two days, whereas last Friday-Sunday was pretty loud. I also noticed an uptick in the occurrence of 2-3 cicadas (males, presumably) somewhat desperately chasing or following a single cicada (again, presumably a female) over the past couple of days. Like, it's almost closing time at the bar, and the beer goggles are coming out...

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25 minutes ago, MN Transplant said:

I was coming into this thread to mention this.  Noticeable now on my oaks and very light on a few others (river birch, witch hazel, dogwood).  Nothing on our japanese maples, which is what we were most concerned about.  I did cover about 10 "vulnerable" trees, but clearly not tight enough because they made it inside.  Hoping it is enough of a deterrent to keep the ladies from doing their thing, though. 

Also, the sound has really ramped down in the last couple of days and fewer are flying.  Feels like last weekend might have been the peak here.

 

7 minutes ago, vastateofmind said:

Yeah, noticed that the singing hasn't been as intense the past two days, whereas last Friday-Sunday was pretty loud. I also noticed an uptick in the occurrence of 2-3 cicadas (males, presumably) somewhat desperately chasing or following a single cicada (again, presumably a female) over the past couple of days. Like, it's almost closing time at the bar, and the beer goggles are coming out...

Same here, seems to me that the peak was from about Memorial Day (right after the cool, rainy couple of days) through this past weekend.  I still hear a lot and have seen quite a few flying around (maybe more than before?).  Maybe the rain and cloud cover yesterday has dampened things somewhat, but I also think they're getting close to being done by this point.  I guess they keep on with the singing until they either get eaten or just die from fatigue.  I first really noticed the sound about 3 weeks ago, and I think they typically last 3-4 weeks.

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3 hours ago, H2O said:

Afternoons can still get noisy but I find that its more focused to individual trees.  When they flock to a tree thats when it gets almost ear shattering.

Agreed. There are a few trees in the neighborhood that are ear-piercingly loud as you walk under them. Seems they've focused on cherry trees, in particular.

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1 hour ago, wxtrix said:

loud enough for ya? my backyard this afternoon:

 

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Which type is predominant right where you are, making that level of noise?  I notice a lot of Cassinis here where I am, in some individual trees.  But the overall "background" sound is the Septendecims.  When the Cassinis are really going in the afternoon, that raspy hissing sound is quite loud when you walk past a tree they are in!

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25 minutes ago, Paleocene said:

They're much quieter this morning in Silver Spring. Peak was definitely ~2 weeks ago.

Yep. I'm sure we're on the downhill side here. We barely heard them all day yesterday, and the same applies this morning so far...very distant chorusing. Noticed LOTS more flagging of branches on tree tips, too, over this past weekend. I'm thinking another week or week and a half, and the 2021 edition of Brood X will mostly be a memory in this part of FfxCo.

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Fliers everywhere now.

My dog (border collie) isn't too interested in them UNTIL I decided to hold one and wave it at him.  Not interested in eating it but playing fetch.  So I wave it and let it go and it takes off towards a maple.  He's very interested now running and occasionally on hind legs trying to reach it!  I figured it would land on a branch but it does a u turn and heads back towards me.  My dog looks confused at this point.  I hold my hand out and it bounces and falls on the driveway crawling.  My dog looks at it then looks at me.  Typical action when we play frisbee or ball.  So round two and wouldn't you know it, it flies toward the tree then comes back AGAIN!

Now my dog is truly stunned and very interested.  Could this be a new toy??!

So round THREE.  This time the cicada flies due east towards a taller southern pine.  I tell my dog that one isn't coming back.  He runs back to me pacing the ground then looks at me.

You have to wonder what they are "saying" but (border collies) definitely have a body language.  I'm thinking he'd do this all day!

A few minutes later he started getting distracted and chasing fliers on his own.  My wife says "Oh great, look what you've done now!".

We're fortunate that we're in an ideal position where we can have a reasonably enjoyable experience with these bugs.  Not annoyingly invasive as in car wash needed every day, sidewalks and drive cleared off, armies marching over screens, etc.  They are loud enough to make their presence known and if you want to interact with them the forest is a quick walk or ATV ride away.  Couldn't be better!

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Definitely less sound now, but they are still kicking.  They were relatively inactive with the rain all day Friday but came back some over the weekend most definitely.  Today was a lot quieter.  Cassinis seem to be the ones I hear most today, especially walking under certain trees...but also some faint "Phaaa-roooh" chorus too.  Like others, I've seen a *lot* still flying around.  Peak seems to have been Memorial Day through the first weekend or so of June, or there about.  I'd say I've had a solid 3+ weeks of constant sound (outside those couple of cool, rainy days, though even then...), starting several days or so after I first noted them emerging in mid-May, on up to the present.

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