Cicadas

Cicadas are insects that are prevalent in a large portion of the US, but not in CA, CO, and UT. So we were very surprised when these noisy bugs started to intrude on our peaceful lives every summer in KS. If you have never heard one, they are incredibly loud pests. Tonight I heard my first one of the season.

There are dozens of types of cicadas that live throughout the world, so the word cicada is about as descriptive as the word worm. There are some that hatch only every 13 years and others that hatch only every 17 years. The cicadas that we deal with in KS are Tibicen cicadas, and they show up every year.



According to the wikipedia only the male cicadas make noise. They do it by vibrating their rib like exoskeleton together, then they amplify the noise by using their body as a resonance chamber. They are loud enough to disrupt phone calls, and disturb a good night sleep. Surprisingly, it only takes one of these things to infect a whole area.

After reading this post I realize how irritated I sound. Cicadas must serve some purpose (besides being one of Zephyr's favorite bugs to chase). Perhaps they are food for more noble creatures. But I have to admit, I think they are incredibly obnoxious and call far too much attention to themselves. Feel free to chime in you have ever encountered these guys.