The 17 Year Cicadas are Ruining My Daughter’s Summer

There is a buzz in the air…and no, it is not something exciting. If you live in southwestern/southeastern Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, the extreme western tip of Maryland, northwestern Virginia and most of West Virginia, then you probably know what I am talking about. It is cicadas and they are ruining my three year old daughter’s summer. Luckily, they won’t make a return for another 2-17 years, depending on exactly which species are born, but I can’t wait for them to just be gone so we can enjoy going back outside again without her running in fear from the BUGS!

They really are gross, but seem to be pretty harmless (see images for gross factor). They are huge and I understand why a little kid would be afraid of them. Male cicadas make the most annoying noise I have heard in a long time (except for the mockingbird that seems to be jumping from neighbor’s house to neighbor’s house). Plus they fly around and have no sense of direction. No joke here – cicadas will literally fly right into you without a care, smack you in the face (yup…happened earlier today), and keep on going. 

If you are lucky enough to not know what I am talking about, here is a little background on these bugs (and I am getting the heebee jeebees just reading more about them):

• The males are the ones who are actually making all of the noise, which is their call for a mate (talk about dumb female bugs – I’d never mate with anything that made such an annoying sound). 
• The female will scrape a groove in a tree in which she lays her rice-shaped cicadas eggs into. Unfortunately this negatively effects the tree as the fluids from the tree become a food source for the babies. 
• Due to the cicadas eating the tree fluid, the leaves may turn brown and branches could potentially die depending on the trees strength. I have a 3 year old tree in my backyard that just looks horrible now.
• When the young cicada is ready to move on, it makes its way to the ground and finds the trees roots in which it feeds on, underground, for another 2-17 years, depending on its species. Talk about disgusting! 

It seems like they have been quieting down the last couple of evenings (compared to others) so we do get to enjoy the last bit of the day outside, but we can’t wait until they are gone for good. I have heard they will be gone by the 4th of July so fingers crossed that is true! I just want to be able to play outside with my children without being attacked by bugs.

Do you hear the cicadas where you live? If yes, where are you located? If not, what is your most annoying bug that your kids dislike?