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=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: MaLo on January 11, 2004, 11:54:00 pm
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They're coming...bleck!!
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I can't wait....bleh
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They're already here. They're just sleeping over the Winter. They were singing up a storm all last Summer and early Fall. They don't bother me.
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Originally posted by Jaguär:
They're already here. They're just sleeping over the Winter. They were singing up a storm all last Summer and early Fall. They don't bother me.
Not the 17 year Cicadas...... They have been underground feeding on tree roots and the like for the last 16.5 years.
Anyway, I had been meaning to ask about this for a while. I would love to see them, they are such a freaky phenom. Do they appear in the district? If not where is a good place to go to see them?
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I'm telling you, they were out buzzing up my neighborhood like crazy all Summer. Saw one or two in Virginia too.
They're beautiful. They look like super giangantic flies with cool greens and other colors and translucent wings. You will know when you hear them because they are very, very loud. Wait until you hear several of them at once! It's almost like something out of a Hitchcock film. Sort of like The Birds. But don't worry, they are harmless. At least, to people. Their old shells are pretty ugly though.
Here's some cicada fun (http://saltthesandbox.org/cicada_hunt/) for you in the meantime, Markie.
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Okay, I followed my own advice and found out that my cicadas were Summer cicadas. The colors are different. The 17 year guys are brown with orange trim.
Here's my favorite question and answer from the FAQ (http://www.dancentury.com/cicada/faq.html#a2) page.
Question: Do cicadas pee, and if so, why? (5/2002)
Short Answer: Because, like humans, they have to.
Answer: Courtesy of Les Daniels, author of the Great Lakes Cicada site:
"I've experienced this several times where I was on the receiving end of this artificial rain. When many cicadas congregate on warm days, they feed on the tree fluids and often urinate 'piss' while doing so. This bug urine is called 'honey dew.' The little buggers have pelted me several times while I was observing a little 'too' close. It isn't uncommon.
Lastly, the 'honey dew' does not stain, or stink. In fact, it feels like rain drops."
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Originally posted by mark e smith:
Originally posted by Jaguär:
They're already here. They're just sleeping over the Winter. They were singing up a storm all last Summer and early Fall. They don't bother me.
Not the 17 year Cicadas...... They have been underground feeding on tree roots and the like for the last 16.5 years.
Anyway, I had been meaning to ask about this for a while. I would love to see them, they are such a freaky phenom. Do they appear in the district? If not where is a good place to go to see them? [/b]
Be careful what you wish for...
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Originally posted by Moon Mulllins:
Be careful what you wish for...
Yeah, wait until he sees one next to his new mini! :D
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Anyone have any Cicada recipes?
Cicada Crisps
The ingredients are:
60 Freshly emerged 17 year Cicadas,
3 cup Flour,
2 teaspoons of Salt and pepper
1 cup of Flour
4 Eggs
1 cup Corn oil or slightly salted Butter
The recipe yield is:
4 Servings
The best way to prepare them is to dip them, still alive, in beaten egg, roll them in the seasoned flour and then gently saute them seasoned until they are golden brown, then serve!
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I saw that the Asians like eating cicadas. But that's no surprise, considering some of the things they like to eat over there.
According to this chart (http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/michigan_cicadas/Periodical/Index.html), Virginia had their season in 2003 and Maryland's is in 2004. One other chart I saw had both Maryland and Virginia in 2004. Guess it all depends on which family decides to have their reunion.
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That's just wonderful..
*sigh*
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Sure they are real ugly, too ugly to eat, that is for sure.
But I would love to see a big swarm of them, its such a shit or bust lifestyle. I find that quuite admirable.
So, when do they appear, and do we get them in DC? I have seen the non-17 year Cicadas hanging about, but I want to see a swarm.
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You're close enough to some parks and other treed areas that you should see some. Not too sure about flying swarms though. I can't really remember myself seeing any swarms in flight. What you will notice are the carcasses and old shells all over the place and the living ones hanging out in the trees. The most obvious thing will be their sounds. It's so loud that it may even bother you. At the same time, some people find their songs relaxing. Never-the-less, they are very, very loud.
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The best part is places that *had* tons of trees, knocked them out, but the cicadas are still there. Boom, huge number.
I was here for the last infestation and can say that suburbia is crazy with them. Take a nice long bike ride and keep your mouth shut. They don't fly very well and seem to aim for you...
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i'm prepared to be grossed out...i remember them from last time, all over the place..but then i was 8 and enjoyed torturing them by pulling off their wings and legs and heads. Ugh...
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Originally posted by Sir HC:
The best part is places that *had* tons of trees, knocked them out, but the cicadas are still there. Boom, huge number.
hmmm sounds a bit like greenbelt...
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Ok, well when May rolls around, can you suburban dwellers let me know if you see a big swarm?
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Oh markie old chap...you'll see the little feckers trust me, I remember them from the last time round....It was my first summer here and I remember thinking to myself, "where the flying *uck have I come to live with these things all over the place" it's like a sci-fi movie. In some areas they fall out of the trees into your hair and they are so dense on the sidewalk that you can't help but "crunch crunch crunch" your way through them. Driving.... they SPLAT on your windshield like you've just hit a friggin bird.
My wife is freaking already, she thought I was making this shit up until she asked some people at her work and they confirmed it.
Funny thing is though, they're kind of cute in their own way..and the noise they make, while almost deafening, is somewhat relaxing.
And yes, they're brownish and orange.
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Thats good, thanks Mankie. I always wanted to see plague, pestilence and flood....... I cant wait.
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whew you guys had me really scared i thought you were talking about this guy....... <img src="http://www.lyricscafe.com/s/secada_jon/jon_secada.jpg" alt=" - " />
although the idea of crunching him under foot sounds quite good............
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Originally posted by poorlulu:
I love Jon Secada
luckily I think we have a few more years before he comes back
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Originally posted by mark e smith:
Ok, well when May rolls around, can you suburban dwellers let me know if you see a big swarm?
i would like to see a swarm too! they sound very interesting :)
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Originally posted by mankie:
and the noise they make, while almost deafening, is somewhat relaxing.
like Wilco? or better?
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They don't really "swarm" except dead on the ground. They can't fly very well, and they will come into your car if you are cruising around with the windows open.
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Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
They don't really "swarm" except dead on the ground. They can't fly very well, and they will come into your car if you are cruising around with the windows open.
shit no "air conditioning" this summer then.............
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Originally posted by sonickteam2:
Originally posted by mankie:
and the noise they make, while almost deafening, is somewhat relaxing.
like Wilco? or better? [/b]
It would be nice if Wilco only came round once every 17 years too...I could handle that, maybe.
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this reminds me of when they last came and i was in high school and the boys would throw them in the girls' hair.
speaking of Jon Secada, I remember seeing him at this Red Cross festival in Old Town and the women swooning all over him!
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they only last for about a month...or at least that is what i've been told...it seemed like they lasted all summer last time
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my freshman year at college coincided with a similar event, except it was crickets. the campus smelled of dead and rotting crickets for a month or so. crunch crunch crunch
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They are around about a month, but there are the early and late comers so you get more total time.
They are pretty damn big too, so watch out when you are speeding along, they are a mouthful.
Coolest is all their shells (they molt when they come out) all over the trees.
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Originally posted by Sir HC:
They are around about a month, but there are the early and late comers so you get more total time.
The media circus cicada event lasts a few weeks from late May to mid June. That's just one or two species of cicada. Other species come out later in the summer but not nearly in the same numbers.
BTW, entomologists call our batch of cicadas Brood X , as in "brood number ten".
Brood X Fest, anyone?
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Originally posted by beetsnotbeats:
Originally posted by Sir HC:
They are around about a month, but there are the early and late comers so you get more total time.
The media circus cicada event lasts a few weeks from late May to mid June. That's just one or two species of cicada. Other species come out later in the summer but not nearly in the same numbers.
BTW, entomologists call our batch of cicadas Brood X , as in "brood number ten".
Brood X Fest, anyone? [/b]
"BROOD X" Great name for a local band....no?
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Ugh. I remember growing up in Ohio and the year of the cicadas. The sound, the flying, the shells, the body parts. *shivers* They were everywhere! I am not looking forward to that at all. Yick!
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Originally posted by MaLo:
i'm prepared to be grossed out...i remember them from last time, all over the place..but then i was 8 and enjoyed torturing them by pulling off their wings and legs and heads. Ugh...
In gym class we used to whack 'em with our tennis racquets.
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I just thought of something: some people, out-of-towners and younguns, are probably wondering WTF about these things. They might be familiar with the few cicadas that come out every year. In the 17-year cycle of broods, most of the years are light or very light in numbers. But, in areas with large cicada populations, one year out of the seventeen has an enormous outbreak. They are often mistakenly called "locusts" even though they are completely different from grasshoppers; the outbreak is often refered to as a "plague" (of locusts).
This, boysandgirls, is a peak year for DC. Here comes the plague. An American plague. Made in America.
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damnit, here comes my flying insect phobia
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Originally posted by dudeman181:
damnit, here comes my flying insect phobia
Just imagine them as little fat people with wings. :D
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Originally posted by beetsnotbeats:
Here comes the plague. An American plague. Made in America.
smoking, or non-smoking?
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I was just finishing 10th grade the last time the cicadas were here. I just remember they were everywhere in Arlington where I grew up. They definately made an impression on my friends and I. We spent a few afternoons gathering and burning massive amounts of those things. What else would you expect a 15 year old boy to do? My high school hardcore band even had a little number we made up called "Buckwheat's a Cicada". I have no recollection where the Buckwheat part came from, but I remember jamming on it in our drummer's basement after school
"Cicada....Buckwheat's a cicada........."
I also vividly remember the crunch crunch crunch of walking down the sidewalk. What a bizarre occurance. Now that I'm back in Arlington I'm sure my neighborhood will be overrun with them...
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I was 8 at the time and living in Aspen Hill. The girl across the street from me was obsessed with them. She was the only girl I've ever known that wore a cicada t-shirt.
That crunch-crunch description was spot on. Surely there's a 4-track demo of "Buckwheat's a Cicada" floating around.
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I can remember the last time we had those suckas.We would take out the BB gun and made a drinking game out of shooting them.Depending on how far away they were,you could give more drinks.Hardest part was figuring out which one was the intended target,which led to many arguments(gulp gulp)all in good fun of course.Made for a fun drunken afternoon or 2.
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my brother, who was 5 at the time, put a bunch of them in the gas tank of my mother's volvo...i vividly remember him getting yelled at that for that...haha!