Category: Chimneys

Different types of Magicicada periodical cicada holes

Post author By Dan
Post date May 2, 2021
10 Comments on Different types of Magicicada periodical cicada holes

Different types of Magicicada periodical cicada holes found in Princeton, NJ. Brood X, 2021. Generally speaking, their holes are about the size of a dime. You won’t see a spray or kickback of soil around the hole like you would when an animal is digging into the soil rather than coming out of it (cicadas are coming out).

Typical dime-sized cicada holes

Typical Holes

A hole with a corresponding mini cicada-chimney

Here's a hole and cap

A golf ball sized chimney over a hole

Mud Golf Ball

A hole borrowed into a hay bale laying on the ground

Hole in Hay

A hole in moss

Holes in the underside of a rotten log, with a nymph!

Cicadas will burrow up from the soil of the ground and keep going into the rotting wood of a rotten log! I had to roll the log over to see it.
Holes in a Log

The inside view of a 4″ cicada chimney

Chimey

Video of a Nymph

Brood II Chimneys Magicicada Photos & Illustrations

Chimneys – Brood II Magicicada from Metuchen, New Jersey (2013)

Post author By Dan
Post date March 29, 2020
1 Comment on Chimneys – Brood II Magicicada from Metuchen, New Jersey (2013)

These are some small cicada chimneys created by Magicicada during Brood II in 2013 in Metuchen. Magicicadas occasionally create chimneys above the holes they emerge from — more often when the soil is wet or ground is shadowed (under a deck, in a lawn mower shed). These were shaded by a large pine.

Cicada Chimney Metuchen Brood II

Brood XXIII Chimneys Magicicada Photos & Illustrations

Brood XXIII photos from 2015, part 1

Post author By Dan
Post date March 27, 2020
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Brood XXIII Magicicada photos from 2015 by me (Dan Mozgai).

In 2015 I took an 8 state road trip to see as much of the brood as possible.

Skip to Part 2.

Male Magicicada tredecim in Mississippi:

Maybe a Magicicada neotredecim in Illinois:

Cicada exuvia in Giant City in Illinois:

Cicada chimneys found by Sam Orr in Illinois:
Cicada chimneys found my Sam Orr in Illinois

Magicicada in Kentucky:

Hieroglyphic cicada illustration in Jackson Museum:

Teneral female Magicicada tredecim:

Cicada exuvia on Touch of Nature sign in Illinois:

Brood X Chimneys Magicicada Photos & Illustrations Roy Troutman

Roy Troutman’s 1980s Cicada Photos, part 2

Post author By Dan
Post date March 26, 2020
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Roy Troutman’s 1980s Cicada Photos, part 2.

Skip to Part 1 and Part 3.

1987. Mating Cicadas.
Roy 1987 Mating Cicadas

1987. Cicada chimney.
Roy 1987 Cicada Chimney

1988. Straggler cicada.
Roy 1988 Straggler Cicada

1987. Cicada feeding.
Roy 1987 Cicada Feeding

1988. Roy & Pa watching emerging cicadas.
Roy 1988 Roy & Pa Watching Emerging Cicadas

Chimneys Santisuk Vibul Thailand

False cicada chimneys

Some photos of False cicada chimneys by Santisuk Vibul. Bangkok, Thailand. 2010.

False Chimney photo by Santisuk Vibul:

Split false chimney photo by Santisuk Vibul:

Brood II Chimneys Magicicada Nymphs Periodical Video

Cicada chimneys and a nymph under a slate

Post author By Dan
Post date May 10, 2013
No Comments on Cicada chimneys and a nymph under a slate

I didn’t see any nymphs emerge and undergo ecdysis tonight, but I did find plenty of cicada chimneys and nymphs trapped under slates.

Cicadas build chimneys above their holes, typically after it rains a lot and the soil becomes soft. The chimneys help keep water from rushing into their holes, and they keep ants and other menaces out.

Brood II 2013 - Dan Mozgai - Cicada Chimneys

A good place to find cicada nymphs is under backyard slates (or similar objects that cover the ground). Flip over your slates and you might find a nymph tunneling their ways to the side of the slate.

Brood II 17 Year Cicada Nymph trapped under a slate from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.

Chimneys

Cicada Turrets or Chimneys

Post author By Dan
Post date November 10, 2012
41 Comments on Cicada Turrets or Chimneys

Cicada nymphs create what we call turrets or chimneys above the tunnel hole where they will eventually emerge. These chimneys are made from soil. They are a positive indication of where cicada nymphs are underground and that they will emerge soon. Cicadas seem to build chimneys in wetter, muddier areas; in dry areas they will simply make holes at the surface. The chimneys will help keep water and mud from back-filling their holes, so they can continue to breathe, take a peek out and prepare to emerge.

Magicicada Tunnel (by Les Daniels):

Magicicada chimney

A cicada tunnel in Bangkok Thailand (by Santisuk Vibul):
cicada tunnel view from top Thailand photo by Santisuk Vibul

Three Magicicada chimneys (by Roy Troutman):

Magicicada nymph turret by Roy:

This is video taken of a magicicada nymph turret. These turrets are often found in wet areas.

Magicicada nymph turret from Roy Troutman on Vimeo.

Chimneys Santisuk Vibul Thailand

New gallery of cicada tunnels from Thailand

Post author By Dan
Post date November 6, 2009
2 Comments on New gallery of cicada tunnels from Thailand

Santisuk Vibul sent us 3 photos of cicada tunnels/chimneys from Bangkok Thailand.

cicada tunnel Thailand photo by Santisuk Vibul

cicada tunnel view from top Thailand photo by Santisuk Vibul

immature cicada in tunnel photo by Santisuk Vibul

From Santisuk Vibul: “I found this cicada chimney on the lawn in front of my house on October 22, 2009. In Thailand, this month is late rainy season, there is no heavy rain and there will be no flood in the cicada tunnels, but the cicadas nymphs still build their chimneys. Some authorities said they built chimneys to stay to breathe and prepare themselves for their final molting.”

Brood XIV Chimneys Magicicada Nymphs Periodical Roy Troutman

Cicada nymphs, chimneys and holes

Post author By Dan
Post date April 23, 2008
8 Comments on Cicada nymphs, chimneys and holes

Here are some new photos from Roy Troutman that will give you a good idea of what to look for when searching for signs of cicadas in your yard:

This is a pair of Magicicada nymphs, much like you might find when gardening or turning over logs or stones in your yard.

Magicicada nymphs

See those beige globs of soil amongst the leaves and debris? Those are called cicada chimneys. They are a sure sign that a cicada nymph is below the soil, and will emerge in a few days or weeks.

Magicicada chimneys

Look closely at this picture and you’ll see holes in the ground. Those are holes that cicada nymphs have dug, and they’re another sure sign of where a cicada will emerge.

Cicada holes

On May 1st we’ll start making predictions as to when they’ll start to emerge.