And so it begins...Brood X

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They've spent 17 years under ground and now they rise! Interesting to see that my front yard (South facing) is crawling with cicadas today, but the back yard has none yet. Soon though, it'll be time to break out the noise canceling headphones!
 
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Wow. I was wondering when they would emerge.
 
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I was watching the birds in my yard plucking the pupils right off the surface- it was an all you can eat buffet! The next 6 weeks is gonna suck
 
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I was watching the birds in my yard plucking the pupils right off the surface- it was an all you can eat buffet! The next 6 weeks is gonna suck

Our toddler was excitedly running around the yard finding them today. Little does he know he won't be able to walk without stepping on the next week.

It's a brilliant, ridiculous evolutionary strategy: "if we all come out at once, there won't be enough predators to eat all of us!"
 
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I’m still trying to figure out what their purpose is- other than reproducing.
 
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Natures' way of pruning the trees! And feeding the birds.
 
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I’m still trying to figure out what their purpose is- other than reproducing.
That is true for every living thing. Although I would prefer that politicians find another purpose.
 
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No sign yet. Hershey PA. USA. Where are they?


Waiting for the fun to start.
kfw
 
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No sign yet. Hershey PA. USA. Where are they?


Waiting for the fun to start.
kfw

They are on the move today in Maryland. We're outside gardening right now and the birds are going nuts over all the extra food.
 
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MRC MRC
That is true for every living thing. Although I would prefer that politicians find another purpose.
Of course, but some insect are pollinators, some break down decaying matter- etc. just curious what the Secede does.
 
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...and they aren’t up yet in Baltimore, so clearly more southern today (it is pretty cool up here today), so probably within the next day moving north
 
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...and they aren’t up yet in Baltimore, so clearly more southern today (it is pretty cool up here today), so probably within the next day moving north
They emerge when the ground temperature reaches 64 F, so probably not the right temp reached yet.
 
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I’m still trying to figure out what their purpose is- other than reproducing.
“The dream of every cell is to become two cells” - Francois Jacob

That right there is the meaning of all life.
 
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My wife saw a half-dozen when she was out on the patio this morning (DC area). I haven't seen any yet, and thankfully I don't hear them yet.
 
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Thankfully I don’t have to hear them where I live.
 
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I’m still trying to figure out what their purpose is- other than reproducing.
I have that same thought about stupid people daily...
 
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Thankfully I don’t have to hear them where I live.

Me too. It seems we left coasters get left out of all the fun.

I did find at tick climbing up the wall the other day, does that count? The dog promptly got a haircut to cut down on her transporting the little devils into our house.
 
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I’ll take the cicadas for a few weeks every 17 years over the flying roaches in the south and tropics-yyyeeeech!
 
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I’ll take the cicadas for a few weeks every 17 years over the flying roaches in the south and tropics-yyyeeeech!
I grew up in Taiwan. We had cicadas and flying roaches. We also had spiders big enough to take them down.
 
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I’ll take the cicadas for a few weeks every 17 years over the flying roaches in the south and tropics-yyyeeeech!

I had a student who spent some time in the jungles of Belize. What he told me about bot flies still gives me nightmares.