The 17 year cicadas

I'm from the Philadelphia area and I remember the annual ones at my parents' house, and the 17 year ones my freshman year of college in Baltimore. UGH

I actually am less freaked out by roaches (aka waterbugs) than cicadas. Not that either are cool by me...

I detest all bugs. ALL BUGS!!!

I would exterminate them all if I could.

Thanks Gardengirl for the explaination......I had looked it up on the internet also....just at the beginning when the first ones started hatching........your explaination is right on.

After they mate, the larva drops off the trees & onto the ground where they burrow into the ground & eat off the roots....it was interesting as I never say the holes in the ground where they hatch out of until I was in the woods at a get together on Tuesday evening.....you would see the 1/4" holes they come out of all over the ground. We were having a hot dog roast....planned way before the cicadas came around.....the whole evening we were all batting at the dang things as they buzzed along the whole evening & even along with the guitar. There were many women who were definitely city....because they had a hard time dealing with the woods thing & the cicadas......I thouht I was bad....lol.

I actually thought they were lessening up a bit until I decided to try mowing my yard with my lawn tractor.......bit mistake. I guess they thought the sound of my lawn tractor motor was a mating call....because they all started flying at my lawn tractor....which meant they were flying at me as I was driving it slowly across the grass while mowing. Landing on me & flying into my face. I was flinging my arms at them & trying to get my lawn tractor driven back to the garage. I made about 3 passes on the yard before totally giving up with the screams......surprised I could even drive the lawn tractor back to the garage without my hands on the stearing wheel.

June is 1/2 over & I am praying these horrible things will die soon. My doggies like to eat them.....I find them under the trees munching of something....I am sure it has to be one of those horrible looking bugs. I sprayed many of the trees with the Seven insecticide & it works fairly well....think I will spray when I see signs of those horrible larva dropping to the ground.....will spray around the base of the trees to kill them....just have to be careful with my doggies.

I am glad they come only every 17 years....sounds like there is also a 13 year cicada also....but from what I have heard from the people around here, this is the worst they have ever been.......just my luck....my first year here & it the worst......it was the worst draught they had in years just after I arrived, it was the worst winter they had in a long time & then we had the strange tornados in February....which was also the worst.....then we had the cicadas which were the worst they have been......how did I get to lucky that they want to show Kentucky off so well to me?????

Still love it here.....just love it inside better right now
Debbie