Dedicated to cicadas, the most amazing insects in the world.
Here are some photos from the Cicada Mania! Festival at the Lake County Forest Preserves at Ryerson Woods back in 2008 for the Brood XIII Magicicada emergence.
Skip to Part 1, Part 3, or Part 4.
A photo of Magicicada on a wall:
Cicadas around the world plaque:
Pomponia imperator:
Cicadas of Australia:
Salvazana mirabilis mirabilis & Distantalna splendida… and some lanternflies:
Cicada of Madagascar:
A stick sculpture:
Here are some photos from the Cicada Mania! Festival at the Lake County Forest Preserves at Ryerson Woods back in 2008 for the Brood XIII Magicicada emergence.
Skip to Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4.
The Cicada Mobile:
A metal cicada sculpture:
Cicada specimen displays:
A display demonstrating the lifecycle of periodical cicadas:
Brood XIII cicada photos by Mark Muto, from 2007. Photos were taken in North Riverside, Illinois.
Magicicada nymph climbing on a tree branch:
Magicicada septendecim (Pharaoh cicada):
Two Magicicada, one with blue eyes:
Occasionally cicadas get stuck in their nymphal skins (exuvia) during the molting process (ecdysis). The reasons why might be external forces like temperature, rain, wind, interference by other cicadas or other insects like ants, or something wrong with the cicada itself.
This is a photo sent to us by Liz G back in 2007 during Brood XIII from Peoria, Illinois.
A funny photo from James P. from Glenview, IL. 2007. Recently emerged Brood XIII Magicicada cicadas sharing a branch. Magicicada adults are white when they molt, but turn black as their bodies harden (sclerotize).
These images go back to 2007 (Brood XIII).
Sue had noticed that seagulls had taken a liking (maybe an obsession) to cicadas. Look at all those seagulls ready to swoop down (or up) and grab a cicada:
No seagulls in this photo, just exuvia on a tree:
I live near the ocean and can testify that seagulls are bold and voracious eaters. They pose a threat to not just cicadas, but also seals and even Jedi:
These are the 17 most interesting 17-year cicada facts (IMHO). All these facts apply to 13-year cicadas as well.
People call these cicadas “locusts” but they are not true locusts — real locusts look like grasshoppers. The phrase “17-year cicada” indicates that they arrive every 17 years. The name “periodical cicadas” indicates that they arrive periodically and not each and every year. The scientific name for the Genus of these cicadas is Magicicada, and there are 3 types of 17 year Magicicadas: Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini and Magicicada septendecula.
This is a true locust:
There are 13-year cicadas too! There are four species of 13-year cicadas: Magicicada tredecim, Magicicada neotredecim, Magicicada tredecassini, and Magicicada tredecula. Broods XIX, XXII and XXIII feature these cicadas.
Here’s a video that will help you identify the various species.
Most 17-Year Cicadas have red eyes, but they can also have white, gray, blue , or multi-colored eyes.
The Massospora cicadina fungus infects Magicicadas, destroying their abdomen and ability to reproduce. Often, their entire abdomen will fall off. The cicadas spread the fungus throughout their local colony via mating. The Massospora fungus is a cicada STD!
Cicadas think the sounds made by power tools and lawn maintenance equipment are made by cicadas. They get confused and will land on the people using the equipment! Pro-tip: cut your lawn in the early morning or near dusk when the cicadas are less active.
Cicadas have two, obvious, large, compound eyes, and three ocelli. Ocelli are three jewel-like eyes situated between the two main, compound eyes of a cicada. We believe ocelli are used to detect light and darkness. Ocelli means little eyes in Latin.
People eat them. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. There, uh, cicada kabobs, cicada creole, cicada gumbo, panfried, deep fried, stir fried. There’s pineapple cicada, lemon cicada, coconut cicada, pepper cicada, cicada soup, cicada stew, cicada salad, cicada and potatoes, cicada burger, cicada pizza, cicada sandwich… that’s, that’s about it.
All wild animals and domestic pets will eat them. Dogs will gorge themselves until they choke. Squirrels will eat them like corn on the cob. Wild turkeys will grow fat and juicy on the cicada feast. Fish go crazy for them too — you can use them as bait, or use lures that mimic them.
Cicadas don’t eat solid foods like leaves or fruits. Instead they use their slender, straw-like mouth parts to drink tree fluids.
Yes cicadas pee, so wear a hat when walking under trees if that sort of thing bothers you. Cicadas drink tree fluids and then expel the excess fluid they do now need. People call it “honeydew” or “cicada rain”.
Only male cicadas make the loud sound they are famous for. Males have organs on their abdomen called tymbals. Muscles pop the tymbals in and out, which creates the sound we hear. Males make different calls for different reasons, and each species has a unique sound. Females can make sound too: they flick their wings to respond to males.
There are literally billions, if not trillions, of 17-year cicadas. Why? One theory suggests that a large number of cicadas overwhelms predators, so predators are never able to eat them all and cicadas, and many always survive to mate. This is a survival strategy called “predator satiation”.
The biggest concern about 17-year cicadas is their potential to damage young trees. The truth is they will damage limbs on the wimpiest of trees, so if you have weak, pathetic, wimpy ornamental trees in your yard you should consider placing netting around the trees if the cicadas visit your yard. Also, you can try hosing them off with water, placing insect barrier tape around the trunk of the trees, or picking them off like grapes! Or, plant strong, beefy American trees — that’s what I would do. Cicadas actually benefit the health of trees by aerating the soil around the roots and trimming the weak or damaged limbs.
Periodical cicadas that emerge in years before they are supposed to emerge are called stragglers.
Scientist speculate that one reason why these cicadas emerge in 17 or 13 year cycles is because those are prime numbers. The fact that 13 & 17 are relatively large* prime numbers makes it difficult for predators to synchronize with them. (*Relative to the average lifespan of an animal.) Annual cicadas (cicadas that arrive every year) often have wasps specialized to prey on them; periodical cicadas have no such wasp because no wasp could evolve to synch with it.
Cicadas need to be warm to sing and fly around. Their dark skin absorbs the heat of the sun, which helps to warm them up.
Cicada Broods usually don’t overlap geographically, and it is very rare when they emerge in the same year. In 2024, Brood XIX and Brood XIII are both emerging.
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If you have 18 minutes to spare, watch the video version of this article.
These questions come from the old General Cicada Questions message board. They are from 2007, so there is a good chance there are Magicicada Brood XIII questions interspersed. The questions and answers are in reverse order. URLs found in comments are old and likely do not work.
Tim,
I know the American species usually last 4 to 6 weeks. Rain won’t kill them, but it will silence them. And Australia doesn’t have 17 year cicadas — you’re just having a particularly hearty crop this year.
Comment by Dan — December 3, 2007 [AT] 9:05 pm
hi,
cicadas have invaded all of our gum trees on our property, it started about 5 days ago they just started up it’s strange because we have never had them before, The sound is horrific and they only stop at night then start up again about 9 am.
I live in Victoria, Australia in the north east and was wondering when will these things die ?
Does rain kill them ?
Am i experiencing a 17 yr cycle thing ?
thank you for your time
Comment by tim — December 3, 2007 [AT] 1:11 am
Hi.
I really new to the realm of cicadas and am really here just to ask a single question (though I have had fun perusing piccies).
I’m in Adelaide, South Australia, to the south of the Adelaide Plain, at the base of the foothills of the Adelaide Hills. For the first time in my memory, this year, we have had an abundance of cicadas of one particular type in the area. Calling from the tree tops in suburbia are these loud single click calls. And there are plenty of them. We’ve even seen a few flying around. The clicks occur all day during warm weather, but increase at dusk during those lovely warm summery evenings we get here.
I tend to associate the sound with coastal sand dunes and tend to think that this is where I’ve heard them before…just never near my house. (I live approximately 3 to 4 miles from the beach).
Now I can give you a pretty lousy description from a chance sighting one afternoon. The cicada we saw was black with orange or red eyes and an orange stripe on its abdomen. Sorry for the vagueness, but it was a chance sighting. If I had anything between my ears I would have grabbed the camera, because the identity of these insects have been bugging me ever since.
Now I’m hoping that someone can poke me in the right direction to identifying this cicada. As far as I can see online, there are very few cicadas in South Australia compared to the other states (Queensland seems to be a noisy place cicada-wise) so I’m hoping the search can be fairly narrow (in a huge family such as this one).
Any help greatly appreciated.
Best wishes,
Gumnut
(determined to discover that bug’s identity)
Comment by Gumnut — November 24, 2007 [AT] 6:29 pm
Sure it is okay for your kid to keep a cicada as a pet, though it won’t last long in captivity.
Comment by Dan — November 21, 2007 [AT] 6:02 am
Is it ok for my mature 12 year old daughter to have a cicada as a pet?
Comment by BJ — November 21, 2007 [AT] 1:31 am
Cicadas and Moonlight—
I too am an observer. Tell me if anyone else noticed that the Cicadas gravitate toward the moonlight when they come out of the ground for their first walk on the surface. The moment they emered from the ground, there was a uniformity, almost like soldiers, when the walked up our hill. The cicadas found on the trees and telephone poles were on the moomlit side…always. Anyone notice this as a pattern?
Comment by lynn — October 12, 2007 [AT] 4:54 pm
Lauren: red this FAQ https://www.cicadamania.com/faq.html#a15
Comment by Dan — September 5, 2007 [AT] 5:17 am
NYC has killed so many insects spraying for “west nile”!
It’s a total scam!
Comment by Billy — September 4, 2007 [AT] 11:42 am
Today I noticed that this is the first year I have not heard one cicada… and I strongly believe that NYC has killed them & alot of other vital insects necessary to our eco system… how can we stop this destructive spraying which is mainly to make money!
Comment by Billy — September 4, 2007 [AT] 11:41 am
My daughter would like to know how the cacada make it’s noise. Thanks
Comment by Lauren — September 4, 2007 [AT] 8:08 am
andyru712: yes, it’s called the New Forest cicada. http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ukplans.aspx?ID=216
Comment by Dan — September 3, 2007 [AT] 8:13 am
please can anyone tell me if england has cicada. i am having trouble finding any info!
Comment by andyru712 — September 3, 2007 [AT] 6:29 am
Some co-workers and I have been marvelling at the buzzing of the cicadas in the small forested area outside of our workplace. We hadn’t actually seen one until the other day when one appeared on the outside of the building. It did not move however and stayed there for three days. I figured it probably died so i nudged it gently with a stick. It fell to the ground where I gave it another poke and it moved its leg. Okay, so it is not dead but probably dying. A day later it was back on the wall. It had traveled about two feet on the ground and three feet up the building. What is it doing? Is it going into some sort of hibernation? For reference it is late August in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thanks
Comment by Ben — August 20, 2007 [AT] 11:23 am
I am noticing a steady decline in the amount of cicada calls I hear daily. Recently they did aerial spraying of pesticides to kill the mosquitoes that carry the West Nile Virus. Is it possible that the pesticide is killing the cicadas, or is it normal for them to start dying off in August?
I live in Sacramento, California. Our cicadas seem to be Okanagana-something(rimosa?).
Comment by Phoebe — August 19, 2007 [AT] 1:23 pm
our litte buddies are gonme 🙁 🙁 what an incredible natural event….what a ethereal sound and so harmless…..I will miss them until next time…
Comment by Bill — August 16, 2007 [AT] 9:58 pm
The Cicadas have invaded NJ early according to the charts. These past few weeks we’ve noticed them and also holes in our yard (which we didn’t realize were from them-we thought they might have been moles or the like.) We’ve had enough problems trying to grow grass lately, and now we have these holes…what a mess! We had trees removed last year and I guess they’re feeding on the roots that are left.Looks like we’ll be having a project in the spring fixing up the damage. My dog & I have already hurt ourselves in the ruts. Glad they won’t be around for much longer.
Comment by Carmel — August 15, 2007 [AT] 8:09 am
Debbie — no they won’t hurt your house plants — cicadas like trees.
Comment by Dan — August 15, 2007 [AT] 5:02 am
A cicada landed on my leg on my back porch. I caught it and brought it inside to be able to show my grandkids, but it got away. Will it hurt my house plants? Will it lay eggs in them? I can’t find it anywhere.
Thank you, if you reply. I’ve been searching for someone who may be able to tell me.
Sincerely,
Debbie Nickerson
Comment by Debbie Nickerson — August 14, 2007 [AT] 10:37 pm
Hello, first I’d like to say, I never knew so many people liked Cicada’s. My question is this:
“Are there any rumors or legends about Cicadas?”
In times could they be seen as a bad omen? a good omen?
Comment by Nymph — August 8, 2007 [AT] 8:58 pm
Why hasen’t the editor of this site seen fit to post the news article (submitted & received by editor)that included a photo of the Cicada powered airplane my son & I built & tested?
Also, you might want to read an Internet site on Grasshopper Glacier in Montana & the giant gresshoppers that are found frozen into it!
Dick
Comment by Dick Bolt — August 2, 2007 [AT] 9:21 am
Hey Scott,
The photo on the front page are individual eggs taken from a small eggnest in an ash tree branch. Apparently cicada eggs get moisture from the live branches because these took about a week to dry up after being removed.
Thanks,
Roy
Comment by Roy troutman — July 28, 2007 [AT] 5:18 am
Are the eggs in the photo shown on your website indivdiaul egges, or is each one a sac/cluster of eggs?
Thanks for a great website!
Comment by Scott Williams — July 24, 2007 [AT] 1:00 pm
Hey…i have one of these little gems …i have the shell…and the bug…I live in Ontario Canada….Hamilton…
I am 45 years old…and have never seen one…im thrilled to finaly see what all the fuss is about!!
Comment by Nancy — July 21, 2007 [AT] 6:45 pm
Cicada Mania: I just wanted to say thanks and ask you one question is the magicicadas the cicadas that only come to north america?
– Thanks in advance,
Courtney.
Comment by Courtney — July 16, 2007 [AT] 10:31 am
Alex:
You found a magicicada over there? I could hear but not see any and didn’t find any exit holes; nothing. Just heard the singing, re-re-re-re-re-reeeeeee.
I live not too far from there and we have had the same type for about a week or two now. I’m enjoying the singing! =O)
Comment by Caerann — July 13, 2007 [AT] 9:46 am
Hey John,
What you ae seeing is the damage done by cicada females that have laid their eggs into each branch. They use a sharp needle like appendage called an ovipositor that will cut into a twig & deposit eggs. The act of piercing a branch will weaken the structure & sometimes stop the flow of sap causing broken branches & browned leaves.
Hope this helps, Roy T.
Comment by Roy Troutman — July 10, 2007 [AT] 1:40 pm
All the trees in our area, and we are next to a forest preserve, have large tips turned brown and are dead. The large dead branches fall from the trees onto the street and lawns, this especially during the storm of yesterday.
Some say the cicada have sucked the sap from these tips. What, in fact, is causing the tips to die like this?
Comment by John Powers — July 10, 2007 [AT] 8:41 am
Seems like the Kimball/Elston area is a late bloomer, huh. I found a lone one on the sidewalk near Kimball and Montrose today. Scurried up my arm looking for a place to emerge from it’s shell.
Put it in a fish tank with climbing twigs, and just as I finished it’s home the little thing checked out the branches and found one to settle on. It immediately began emerging.
Wow. I spent the last couple of hours watching it’s transformation.
Nature is wonderful. This is what life is about!
Now I must find a safe place with other cicadas so the cycle can continue.
Who still have some in their yard? Want another?
Comment by Alex — July 7, 2007 [AT] 8:59 pm
They are still plentiful and very active in Blue Star Memorial Forest Preserves on Lake Avenue in Glenview as of today, July 3rd. They seem to be a later group than those in Schiller Woods as there are barely any dead bodies in the Glenview preserve. Hurray!!!! Had much fun playing with the little darlings. =0)
Comment by Caerann — July 3, 2007 [AT] 2:21 pm
Is it possible our 17 Year friends are just emerging in the city near Kimball and Elston? I heard but didn’t see some kind of cicadas today, July 2nd in 3 or 4 very tall trees.
Cheerio then.
Comment by Caerann — July 2, 2007 [AT] 7:44 pm
I found a bug on the sidewalk in my backyard this evening, and it caught my attention b/c it looked just like a cicada. I thought they only came out every 17 years, stayed for a while, then died off. He was huge! Bigger than the average bettle and he was just slowly walking around. He seemed to be following the flashlight as we stared at him in aww. He looked very old didn’t appear to have any wings. Is it normal for them to still be around since the last time they were here? And if so, do they loose their wings and just walk around?
Comment by Briana — June 29, 2007 [AT] 9:15 pm
hey i am a student going into 9th grade and i have to find 6 legged bugs and if i get a rare one i will get an A+ and i think they will be around for a lil while longer
Comment by randie potter — June 29, 2007 [AT] 4:34 pm
I’m in Oak lawn and have only spotted a small handful of cicada’s by my house and it was only for one day.We had a storm that was blowing in from the south all day last week on tuesday the 20th and that’s the only time they were here.I took pictures,held them,and was just excited to see them again.I was only 4 years old the first time I experienced them way back in 1973 at Brookfield Zoo and at that time I was horrified of them.Now at 38 I’m fascinated by them but have to travel to other areas to find them.Does anyone know if more will emerge in Oak Lawn before they are gone?
Comment by Bob — June 28, 2007 [AT] 7:36 pm
I was surprized to see an cicada in Lillooet British Columbia this year, I never seen one before but maybe they could have been here all the time…. I would think i would have noticed them before as it was pretty big 26mm long. I have pictures and I will try and post at least one on this site.
Comment by Randy James — June 27, 2007 [AT] 10:43 am
I live in central Oak Park. I walked around the neighborhood on Memorial Day weekend several times in order to determine whether the nymphs were emerging. I saw one newly emerged adult cicada on 25 May on 200 block of N. Kenilworth-and then nothing for a couple of weeks. Now, in the past two weeks, I’ve seen quite a few cicadas-mostly confined to the parks, though-just a few in the neighborhoods. I wonder why the late-emergence here in Oak Park? River Forest and Maywood lie immediately to the west and they’ve had them for some time-now rapidly dying off. I think cicadas are fascinating as bugs go but I can empathize with folks who have to deal with that constant buzzing.
Comment by Rick — June 27, 2007 [AT] 8:44 am
Cathy,
Do a Google Image search “Cicadas Eggs”. There are a bunch of photos.
Comment by Lucy — June 26, 2007 [AT] 8:39 am
Many of the trees near me have brown leaves. I have read it’s because the females have laid eggs in those branches but why would the leaves turn brown? Do the eggs kill the tree branches? I would love to see a picture of the eggs in a branch but can’t seem to find one.
Comment by Cathy — June 23, 2007 [AT] 4:45 pm
Are all of the cicadas out or are there any areas that are still waiting for them to come out?
Comment by Peggy — June 20, 2007 [AT] 3:35 pm
Some of you will be happy. I just came back from the Lagrange woods. As I turned from joliet rd onto Lagrange rd, there was nothing but silence. I drove through the entrance into the woods, and to my surprise, there were only a few pockets in the woods, where the cicadas were still singing. There were many on the ground that were dying. I actually had 1 cicada drop on the hood of my car backwards on his back. I did try to turn him over on his feet so he could fly away, but he could not even stand. But the whole time he was watching me as if to say thanks for trying. Remember,we are ALL Gods creatures.
Comment by rob — June 20, 2007 [AT] 12:37 pm
Jill — Gerry Bunker says “An aggregation of cicadas.”
Comment by Dan — June 19, 2007 [AT] 1:42 pm
I know this group of cicadas are known as Brood XIII, but do groups of cicadas have a name like “gaggle of geese”, “murder of crows”, “pack of dogs”, etc.?
Comment by Jill — June 19, 2007 [AT] 12:34 pm
Living in the western suburbs near Lombard, cicada heaven. Work near Elmhurst, more cicado heaven.
Any idea when they will be gone? I am tired of running to the car and avoiding outside. I’ve had them landing in my food, on my shoulders, hit me in the eyes. I don’t mind the yearly ones, since they seem to stay in the trees.
Any idea? I know they are a wonder of nature, but enough already.
Comment by LL — June 18, 2007 [AT] 11:25 pm
In most places, the cicadas will die off by early July. The southernmost Illinois populations are already beginning to wane.
Comment by Dave Marshall — June 18, 2007 [AT] 8:52 pm
Is there any way I can get rid of these things? I own a 16 acre area in Wisconsin, and nearly all of it but our large yard is trees. Swarms of them make noises so loud I find it impossible to go outside because I get horrible headaches, and they swarm all over when I am out. How long until they naturally leave the aera (south WI)?
Comment by frank — June 18, 2007 [AT] 12:54 pm
I was amazed when a 17 year cicada landed on my leg. I have not seen any cicada’s in St. John until today, June 17, 2007
Comment by Sherry G. — June 17, 2007 [AT] 5:17 pm
At our Cub Scout Webelos overnighter, my son decided to spear, roast and eat a cicada. He told the other boys that it tasted like peanut butter. This encouraged other scouts to try them, including one boy who put one on a smore and ate it.
Comment by Colleen Gammon — June 17, 2007 [AT] 12:45 pm
Are female cicada’s bigger then male’s?
Comment by Diane — June 15, 2007 [AT] 5:08 pm
how long have the 17 year cicada been around northern illinois doing their ‘cycling’?
Comment by mike t — June 15, 2007 [AT] 1:20 pm
Just Arrived I live in Berwyn,il. There were none at all until today June 14 flag day. I travel these roads everyday,but today I was surpised when driving right by mcneal hospital,I saw several fly past. Then you could hear them. They are not as loud as in other areas, but I think they got a late start because it was so quiet.So this may extend their welcome far past july 1st.If Svengoulie reads these messages, then maybe he will do a show on Cicadas in Berwyn.
Comment by rob — June 14, 2007 [AT] 2:16 pm
WHEN WILL THEY BE GONE? So many people have asked and no answers. I’ve heard everything from 3 weeks to 10 weeks. It’s a total nightmare where I live and causes me great anxiety.
Comment by Cathy — June 14, 2007 [AT] 6:47 am
Patty,
Try this link. It shows maps where they’ve been sighted:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/broadband/chi-cicada-map-html,0,1315785.htmlstory
Comment by Lucy — June 14, 2007 [AT] 5:36 am
I am in Aurora IL and have not seen a single cicada! I’m looking for an emergence map that shows abundant sightings as close to home as possible … Any suggestions?
Comment by Patty — June 13, 2007 [AT] 8:18 pm
When will they stop flying?!? I am fine with them cozied up in their trees but I can’t wear a windbreaker, hood pulled tight, for another 90 degree day. I think they’re cool and I like looking at them and learning about them, but… how many more days someone give me a countdown for my own state of mind. By the way… I live in Lombard (emerged May 21 in force in my yard) and I work in Hinsdale (cicada mecca) I need a break. Thanks and buzz on boys, buzz on.
Comment by Jenny — June 13, 2007 [AT] 4:42 pm
Perhaps with so many cicadas overcrowding certain trees, they move away from the competition to have a chance to get noticed and get the girl, so to speak. Who knows?
Comment by Lucy — June 13, 2007 [AT] 4:37 pm
Thanks Lucy. That’s what I was thinking too. It’s just weird. It seems more than just wind-blown randomness. There’s a lot, but not hordes. Almost like they’re purposely migrating. And I’m noticing increasing amounts everyday. At a time where I expected them to be dying, they seem pretty lively overhere all of the sudden. Thanks for responding.
Comment by Dan — June 13, 2007 [AT] 4:28 pm
I watched the “Return of the Cicadas” documentary a few weeks ago, and it said they can be blown around by strong winds/rain. We had a couple of really windy days a week of so ago; maybe some ended up in trees away from where they were “born? Or maybe they move to trees that are not so conjested. Just a guess.
Comment by Lucy — June 13, 2007 [AT] 4:12 pm
I work in Wheaton and live in Aurora. Both locations are ‘newer’ developments, where I didn’t expect to see Cicadas. Only since June 11th, have I started seeing/hearing Cicadas. I now see them constantly at work and they are buzzing in the trees all over by my house, and everywhere in between. I know they did not ’emerge’ here, but alas, here they are. I thought they didn’t fly very far. I’m wondering if anyone has any thoughts as to how/why they’ve arrived seemingly everywhere I go now. Any know?
P.S. I will miss them when they’re gone.
Comment by Dan — June 13, 2007 [AT] 3:59 pm
I just came back from the lagrange ill forest preserves. While I was driving down lagrange rd, I decided to turn in to the forest preserves. Although while driving in the area it was very loud,it was almost like a horror movie on tv when I turned into the woods.There must be millons in the woods.I plan on going back several times to hear and see this part of nature.I suggest if you can,go see and hear for yourself.It is truly a remakable part of nature and earth.PS dont be afraid because they are not.
Comment by rob — June 13, 2007 [AT] 1:05 pm
When is the madness going to end?? I have dead cicadas all over my patio and sidewalks yet there seem to be three times as many flying around then before. Everytime I leave my house and walk, more like run to my car I have to go through swarms of cicadas. For those of you who keep complaining about not seeing any you would have a different viewpoint if you had to live with it everyday and have fly into your face, hair, grocery bags, car, etc..
Comment by Kelli — June 13, 2007 [AT] 9:07 am
i just finally saw some cicadas in my neighborhood not to many but the sound was loud from what i heard i did not see them come out of the ground are they just flying near my house or are they getting a late start on it cause i heard they should be starting to die off soon
Comment by kev — June 12, 2007 [AT] 7:48 pm
I live on the North Side of Ottawa, Illinois, and I’ve seen only one cicada! He [or she] was on the ground on the side of my house. Marseilles, on the other hand, is full of them! I am so jealous. Where are they? Will we even get them here, or what? I’m not completely sure if there are cicadas on the other sides of Ottawa, though. I’ve heard the answer is no. Anyone enlighten me?
Comment by Courtney — June 12, 2007 [AT] 9:50 am
hey this rebecca i just wanted to know how long do cicadas live?
Comment by rebecca — June 11, 2007 [AT] 10:35 pm
I am so jealous of all the folks that have cicadas in their town. Wheaton has virtually none. I feel so left out. We actually went to Glen Ellyn to import some to our trees. I’m so sad…
Comment by Kirsten — June 11, 2007 [AT] 8:39 pm
at camp i saw a bout 1 thousang ciadas on one tree, it’s crasy
Comment by megan — June 11, 2007 [AT] 6:42 pm
at camp i saw a bout 1 thousang ciadas on one tree, it;s crasy
Comment by megan — June 11, 2007 [AT] 6:42 pm
Can Cicadas be born, well, mutaded like siamese twins? like a 2 headed cicada? or born without wings or somthin. or 15 legs??
Comment by Elijah — June 9, 2007 [AT] 8:16 pm
Jordan — I keep hearing they should be gone by July 4th.
Comment by Andie — June 9, 2007 [AT] 9:42 am
A couple more weeks.
Comment by Dan — June 9, 2007 [AT] 9:39 am
i live in Illinois. how long will the cicadas be around?
Comment by jordan cin — June 9, 2007 [AT] 9:37 am
I have a bunch of dead cicadas on my patio. Are these cicadas dead from other causes or are they the ones who have already mated? How long does it take for a cicada to die after it mates? I really, really hate these things but on the other hand I feel they should really live it up since it’s the last few weeks of their lives!
Comment by Andie — June 9, 2007 [AT] 6:09 am
Patti — they certainly don’t like cold, and torrential rains pouring into their holes. I hope they make it up to Milwaukee.
Comment by Dan — June 8, 2007 [AT] 10:10 am
Hey Cicada Guy — Love the website. I check it daily here at my corporate headquarters. We are so anxious for the cicadas to hit our town (Milwaukee). We had wicked weather last night. Heavy rains, winds and tornados all around us in the suburbs. Do you think this will keep the cicadas from visiting us? Is is possible they can die off before they ever get a chance to live?
Comment by Patti — June 8, 2007 [AT] 6:23 am
Put them up on Flickr!
Comment by Dan — June 8, 2007 [AT] 4:48 am
i have great pictures about cicada, i want to share them, how can i do that here?
Comment by Merci Yangco — June 7, 2007 [AT] 9:05 pm
It is just past dusk and I just returned from inspecting the fence pickets in my back yard. In years past the annual cicadas have used the pickets as much as the trees to pop out of their shells. But, alas, still no activity in northeast Oak Park. All the conditions for emergence have been met including temperature, moisture and expediency (time is running out). Does anyone know if the subterranean nymphs sometimes bump into one another down there and actually communicate? Might they be saying “two more days to D-Day” (actually yesterday June 6) or “the big break is tonight, pack your bags”?
Comment by Joseph Brady — June 7, 2007 [AT] 7:04 pm
I need to record the sound of cicadas somewhere near New York City, ideally somewhere accessible from public transportation. Any suggestions on where to do this?
Thanks.
Comment by Tom — June 7, 2007 [AT] 6:51 pm
I LIVE IN AN OLDER WOODED AREA IN ALGONQUIN IL…HAVENT SEEN 1 CICADA YET…WHATS THE DEAL ?
Comment by JAMES — June 7, 2007 [AT] 3:08 pm
We had a great emergence of Cicadas on our property in Midlothian on 5/23-24, but today 6/7, there appears to be a second emergence greater than the first! Scads of them on the trees and VERY active in the air. I know they are affected by tempurature and it’s hot today, but there are more cicadas today than in the last 3 weeks. Does anyone know what’s up?
Comment by Colleen — June 7, 2007 [AT] 2:21 pm
I too am terrified of them. I have daily panic attacks becuase they are EVERYWHERE. I live in Brookfield where they seem to live too. Can you tell me when this madness will end? Also, when will I stop seeing new ones? I cant handle it much longer. Though I found out if my fiance turns the sprinkler on….I can run to my car and I havnet been nailed yet.
Please, when will they stop?
Comment by Sue — June 7, 2007 [AT] 8:54 am
Do we have an end date for these little buggers? I’m terrified of this whole “phenomenon.” I live in a wooded area and there are massive amounts. They are all over the sidewalks, the trees right outside my door, my car etc. They fly and land on me, I’m having anxiety attacks, this is a nightmare.
Comment by Andie — June 7, 2007 [AT] 8:12 am
This morning on my way to work, i was driving with my window half way open, when all of a sudden i feel something hit me on the head. I looked to the backseat and happened to find a Cicada. The little fracker hit me on da head! lol….
Comment by Miguel A. Beltran — June 6, 2007 [AT] 4:22 pm
Depends on how old the plumb tree is. Older trees do just fine — in fact fruit trees are know to produce more fruit the following year after a cicada emergence.
Comment by Dan Mozgai — June 6, 2007 [AT] 3:17 pm
Texas, and most states, get annual cicadas every year. Texas has plenty of cicadas.
Comment by Dan Mozgai — June 6, 2007 [AT] 3:16 pm
In my Mothers’ purple leave plum tree there are little holes in straight lines going around the trunk and up several of the larger branches, are these cicadas, and will they kill the tree, if so how can we stop them? My Mother and Father planted that tree when we were small, now he’s gone and we are grown, she would hate to lose the tree
Comment by cassandra riddell — June 6, 2007 [AT] 3:03 pm
Here in South Texas, we comment about cicadas every summer. I saw what I thought was one a couple of days ago, but it doesn’t look like the cicadas I’ve seen on this site, and since they arrive every summer without fail, I am wondering whether or not they truly are cicadas. What can you tell me about their occurrence in South Texas, specifically San Antonio?
Comment by Christine — June 6, 2007 [AT] 1:57 pm
I BELIEVE IF THEY ARE NOT OUT YET I THINK THEY ARE NOT COMING
Comment by JOE PEPETONE — June 6, 2007 [AT] 8:51 am
As of June 5, I have only seen one cicada shell on my daily run throughout Northeast Oak Park. I mistakenly thought the full moon would pull them out, but I was wrong. In the last few days it has been either too cold or too rainy. Why OP is two weeks behind the western burbs and one week behind the north shore, I do not know. Maybe it is the collective concentration of people in Oak Park trying to will them into action. Then again, it may be Oak Park’s heavy clay soil that I suspect may be providing a cooler than ideal 64 degree emergence trigger. These are all just guesses.
Comment by Joseph Brady — June 5, 2007 [AT] 7:04 pm
THe cicadas emerged Sunday evening May 27th in our backyard in Glenview. We could see them come out of the grass and watch as the grass moved with them. We watched them crawl up anything including my leg as they began their ascent. It was truly amazing to see them crack their shells an transform before our eyes. THe next morning HUNDREDS were on hostas, tree trunks, fence posts, our deck. They crawled and practiced short flights. This ritual continues even tonight, eight nights later. The numbers may be slightly fewer but all in all, we can’t believe SO many keep appearing!!!!!!!
Comment by Sharon TIerney — June 4, 2007 [AT] 8:11 pm
Cicadas are prone to fungal infections. Sometimes the fungus expands until the abdomen falls off. I’ve seen walking cicada heads quite a few times. Male abdomens are also pretty much hollow, so that makes the situation more likely.
Comment by Dan Mozgai — June 4, 2007 [AT] 7:48 am
We were at The Grove in Glenview this past Saturday with our kids. We found about a dozen cicadas in the same location without bodies, just heads. They were alive and walking, and they were fully coordinated. I’m not talking about muscle twitches after an insect it killed, I’m talking fully alive cicadas walking with full motor coordination. They might have been able to fly, too, although I didn’t see them fly. They looked perfectly healthy and their wings were flawless, but they had no abdoman or thorax at all. We asked the experts at The Grove. They said that they had never seen cicadas like that, and said it must be a mutation of some sort. To me it didn’t look like they were born without bodies, and it didn’t look like an animal or insect ripped the bodies off because the wings were not torn up. It looked like they had simply dropped their bodies. You could see into their heads through their necks. There was dried light brown stuff that sealed the neck hole. The hole looked identical in all of the cicadas we found. Does anyone know if this is indeed a mutation or something else…perhaps a disease or parasite that makes the bodies fall off?
Comment by Amy Warlick — June 4, 2007 [AT] 6:27 am
Sugar Grove Il here,
about 40 miles west of Chicago. I have not seen a single cicada as of yet. Even went to the forest preserve [bliss woods] not a darn cicada in sight. Are they not coming? I was planning on serving them to my inlaws for dinner this weekend, hee.. hee!
Comment by Deb — June 1, 2007 [AT] 11:43 am
Hey…um….Buster, just wait until the cicadas die off in a few weeks. You will get plenty of stinky “cicada mulch” then. BTW if anyone on the board fishes the nymphs are great fish bait. The kids & I caught a few dozen catfish with them several years back.
Comment by Roy troutman — June 1, 2007 [AT] 11:18 am
IF THEY ARE NOT AROUND BY NOW DOES THAT MEAN THEY ARE NOT COMING TO MY AREA
Comment by JOE PEPETONE — June 1, 2007 [AT] 9:36 am
Dan:
I wrote a couple of days ago, thanks for your comment regarding cicadas in Texas. You said Texas does not have 13/17-year, can you tell what species (Dallas), problem being our condo has an open (wrought iron gate) facing a creek, one can literally hear right through the garage area up 2-3 levels, sounds coming through walls, earphones do not work. My reposed question, isn’t it unusual to hear 24/7? Also, how long before these non-13/17-hear species cease noise (most always hot, as you know, in Texas)…thanks again.
Comment by Pat — June 1, 2007 [AT] 7:19 am
I don’t get it. I live in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. The neighborhood is loaded with Cicadas. I went to the Forest Preserve (untouched for 40 years) and not one. Why?
Comment by Mitch — June 1, 2007 [AT] 7:15 am
I live in Roscoe (on the Wisconsin border, north of Rockford) and we have thousands and thousands of cicadas. We do live in the woods with many older oak trees. There is probably a 2 to 3 inch ring of “cicada mulch” around most of the trees, not to mention the driveway will need to be shoveled soon. The kids & dog are having a blast.
BH
Comment by Buster Hymen — May 31, 2007 [AT] 2:24 pm
I live in the south end of Glenview Illinois and there are 10′s of thousands of ciadias around our house. Not as many on the east side of our street as on the west side and even a few blocks away there are very few. It’s worse for us this time than last. The neighbors tree has so many at the base, that you could shovel them up into a small bucket. They are crawling up anything mostly dark… but even lighter objects, too. They seem to be selective where they choose to sit. Our two evergreen shrubs in front have few, while the small baby evergreen tree only 10 feet away is packed with the bugs on every spare spot. They started popping out a few days ago. So, I think they’ll be other reports coming soon from northern Illinois.
Comment by diane — May 31, 2007 [AT] 11:38 am
My blog below is about Cicada Powered air planes, not paper cicada look-ah-like planes!
Comment by Dick Bolt — May 31, 2007 [AT] 9:51 am
I like Cicadas. We had them here (Eastern MD) in 2004.None reported in Western MD as I remember.
I & my son built cicada powered air planes & got into the local newspapers with photo. I did engine tests (throwing cicadas forward to see if they flew & how hard)first & had kids collecting for me and working as if a science fair was going on. As I remember, females flew down & males flew up when released. So I chose only male engines. I built several 1 engine & two engine planes. Planes were from dollar store balsa cheep.I super glued the engines to the wings! I never got much out of flights. I guess if your but was glued to a board, you would not want to fly either! As I will not be alive next time around in 15 yrs, it might be another to hitch them correctly to fly! It was done with house flys, so why not cicadas.
*** in Bowie MD
PS, I have photos stored from 2004 somewhere.
Comment by Dick Bolt — May 31, 2007 [AT] 9:29 am
cicads are some wired creatuures!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Myarra — May 30, 2007 [AT] 11:23 am
I wish cicadas were flooding my front porch! I haven’t seen one yet!
Comment by Anna in plainfield — May 30, 2007 [AT] 8:22 am
As of 5-29 at 12 noon no sightings yet on ten hundred block of Mapleton. Not many in the general area either, but pockets in River Forest.
Wednesday and Thursday will be the big days. The attraction of the moon, big right now, but full as can be on Thursday (5-31)may play a big part, but also may be a coincidence.
What do you think?
Have counted 2 to 3 mud patch holes per sq ft in between bricks on patio. But maybe these are from real big worms.
Comment by joseph brady — May 29, 2007 [AT] 10:43 am
Is it true that there are no cicadas, annual or otherwise, native to the Pacific Northwest?
Comment by Melanie Wilson — May 29, 2007 [AT] 9:24 am
I live in Huntley, IL and I have not seen one cicada yet!!
I am very sad becasue my daughter is 2.5 years old — the same age I was at my first Cicada year in 1973ish — Does any one know if they will be coming to McHenry Co??
Comment by Karen L — May 29, 2007 [AT] 8:11 am
Cicadas are flooding my front porch. Can anyone tell me of their dislikes. Something I can use to prevent them from infesting my home.
Comment by Cheryl Ferguson — May 29, 2007 [AT] 5:40 am
Wildlife should be seen, heard, but not fed by humans.
Comment by Dan — May 28, 2007 [AT] 9:07 am
Actually, Lake Michigan is probably cleaner than it used to be. In the past few years the gulls have moved inland. They can probably find more food in parking lots and garbage dumps than by Lake Michigan. I’ve even seen people feeding them in the parking lots. That’s probably why they are more abundant in the neighborhoods this year than 17 years ago.
Comment by Sue — May 28, 2007 [AT] 8:52 am
Texas doesn’t have periodic/17/13 year cicadas, but you do have other species. They should be making their presence heard soon enough if the weather stays hot.
Comment by Dan — May 28, 2007 [AT] 12:07 am
Are cicadas hitting Texas this year? If so, are these the 13-year or 17-year brood? Have never heard them here before. The noise has been truly incessant today, especially (hot, muggy) after recent storm. Have heard for the past two weeks (24/7), please advise your prediction how much longer before noise may cease, and isn’t it unusual to hear 24/7? Thanks.
Comment by Pat — May 27, 2007 [AT] 11:39 pm
I wonder why the gulls aren’t haging out by the lake? Maybe the lake is so polluted now, that they have to go inland for food — unfortunately for the cicadas.
Comment by Dan — May 27, 2007 [AT] 10:38 pm
The cicadas have been out in my neighborhood for a week now. We have had an enormous number of seagulls coming and eating them. Flocks of sometimes 50 gulls and more come down the street stopping to devour whatever they can. I know there were not this many gulls 17 years ago. Will this increase in the gull population affect the number of cicadas 17 years from now?
Comment by Sue — May 27, 2007 [AT] 5:57 pm
That’s a good question. They lay their eggs in the branches of trees. The females have an instrument called a terebra that that they use to dig out a slit in the branch and that’s where they lay their eggs. The eggs hatch and the cicada larvae flop to the ground, and start burrowing. They don’t die from the fall because they have a low terminal velocity — like cats and other small creatures.
The egg laying in the branches is what kills the branches.
Comment by Dan — May 26, 2007 [AT] 3:56 pm
You have a great site. I found it very informative.
I have been trying to find out where they lay their eggs? Do they climb trees to eat, then return to the ground to bury their eggs? Or are the eggs left in the trees and the larvae crawl down and into the ground?
I aplogize if you answered this question already. I looked and looked and looked and didn’t see anything about this.
Thank you.
Von
Comment by Von — May 26, 2007 [AT] 3:36 pm
kgmoney1 [AT] aol.com
Please don’t kill cicadas in order to find out if they’re sick. There’s plenty of dead ones lying around, you could dissect those instead.
Comment by Mike — May 25, 2007 [AT] 12:12 pm
I went out to my car and found a baby cicada sitting on the trunk. So i let it crawl on my finger and brought in side.
Comment by anita — May 25, 2007 [AT] 8:45 am
My husband and I were in Lombard a couple of days ago and saw many Cicada holes and a couple of live ones. I am out in Carol Stream and live behind a park and pond with many old tree, but not a single Cicada or even a hole yet from what I have seen. I am starting to doubt if we are going to get them in Carol Stream at all. I hope we do, I have been telling my daughter about it for weeks. Anyone know of an emeregence in Carol Stream or if they even emerge here at all?
Comment by Jess — May 24, 2007 [AT] 2:36 pm
Hi everybody,
I am a college student doing research on the 17 year cicada. I am trying to find out if the cicadas are parasitized by anything like pin worms, nematodes, or anything like that. I have collected some nymphs and dissected them to see if I can find any parasites. I have not found anything yet, but I plan to catch some adults as soon as they emerge. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about cicadas and parasites. If you do anything that may be able to help my research please send me an e-mail at kgmoney1 [AT] aol.com Thanks to all and have fun with the cicadas.
Comment by Kenny Glassman — May 24, 2007 [AT] 1:53 pm
I live in deerfield Illinois. I was walking around looking for cicada shells (in my yard) to look at in my microscope when I heard a buzzing noise. I looked over and saw a upside down cicada flapping its wings like crazy. I picked it up on a stick and took it over to a tree. Immediately, it started crawling up the tree until I couldn’t see it, so I climbed up myself (I made sure not to step on any other cicadas). Then, I saw it stop at nearly the top of the tree and then started laying its eggs! It was so cool!
Comment by Ethan — May 23, 2007 [AT] 6:15 pm
why do they come into certain areas? I haven’t seen any yet in my niegborhood but I know they are there.
Comment by Katie — May 23, 2007 [AT] 5:58 pm
why do they come into certain areas? I haven’t seen any yet in my niegborhood but I know they are there.
Comment by Katie — May 23, 2007 [AT] 5:58 pm
We’re aware of cicada in Arizona, but people rarely ask about them or contribute content, so there isn’t much mention on the site. You might disagree, but they aren’t as exciting as periodic cicadas. There is some Arizona info buried on the site, including this link http://bugs.bio.nau.edu/Homoptera/azhomoptera.htm
that lists dozens of species with pictures.
Comment by Dan — May 23, 2007 [AT] 4:49 am
I live west of Phoenix in Arizona in the desert. There is no mention of cicadas here even though we definately have the cicada visits. Annually.
Can you tell me why they don’t mention any in Arizona?
Their verticle burrow holes are very noticeable. Along with their music.
Our trees did suffer quite a bit of damage the last couple of years from them. My brother lost a number of small ones, where ours were larger ones. There are many trees here in the desert(palo verdes) for them.
I do not wish the cicadas any harm, but it you have a tree you would like to save from harm, I found a method that works. At the area where the bark is disturbed and sap is flowing, I use a stick to scrape of as much as possible. I then spray the area with a spray paint. The cicadas or other insects do not return to the spot and the tree is saved.
Thank you!
Comment by Lisa Bilinski — May 23, 2007 [AT] 12:09 am
I’ve never heard of them damaging conifers, but if they’re desperate enough, they might.
It’s safe to mow. The emergence in Michigan should be minimal.
Comment by Dan — May 22, 2007 [AT] 5:47 pm
Maybe 100 decibels or so.
Comment by Dan — May 22, 2007 [AT] 5:46 pm
how loud are they? like all of them together not just one?
Comment by Jenna — May 22, 2007 [AT] 4:26 pm
i live in the corner of southwest michigan, but have been out of state for a week. when i go home, the lawn is going to need tending- is it safe for me to mow? will i disturb 17 year cicadas beneath my lawn? will i harm them or start a swarm? when is it safest to mow?
Comment by kayla — May 21, 2007 [AT] 9:28 pm
Can Cicadas damage smaller conifers, or is it only small deciduous trees that we need to protect?
Comment by Angie — May 21, 2007 [AT] 7:42 pm
Cicadas drink tree fluids, and they do metamorphize. The final stage (instar) of their metamorphosis is called imagination, which is when the nymph becomes the adult (imago).
Comment by Dan — May 21, 2007 [AT] 5:31 pm
What do cicadas eat?
Do they have metamorphisis?
Comment by hailey — May 21, 2007 [AT] 4:32 pm
Hello Kristina,
I have a decent sound byte you can use of a Magicicada cassini. I also have cicadas chorusing but don’t have good recordings of the other 2 species. e-mail me [AT] sbpstudios [AT] gmail.com.
Comment by Roy Troutman — May 15, 2007 [AT] 1:20 pm
My 7 year old is doing a project on cicadas for his 1st grade class. Is there a good sound byte of the cicada “songs” that he can play?
Comment by Kristina — May 15, 2007 [AT] 11:51 am
Hi Matt –
The key words in that text are “serious noise”. There will still be cicada sound after the choruses start to decline, perhaps still loud by many standards. It will be more like a month (after things first get loud) before things seem normal again. Those words are only a rough estimate.
It really depends on where you are too, in part because the chorusing centers tend to slowly shift location. If you get stuck with a really dense Magicicada cassini chorus in your backyard, in a tree right outside your favorite window, it will be longer than average before things seem quiet again.
Comment by David Marshall — May 14, 2007 [AT] 8:45 am
I’ve seen one specific reference about how long the cicada Brood XIII noise will last only 2 weeks (even though the cicadas may be around for longer than that). Can someone confirm? I’d like to know if the noise lasts longer or shorter so I can make travel plans, because the noise will drive me nuts after the novelty of it wears off.
Here’s the reference:
http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/michigan_cicadas/Periodical/magiFAQ.html
and an excerpt:
“How long will the cicadas be out in my yard/neighborhood/city?
About 4-6 weeks after they first start emerging. Most individual cicadas live only a few weeks, but since they emerge over a period of two weeks or so the whole event lasts longer. The serious noise will get going about a week and half after you first notice them and will last about two weeks more. After that things get a lot quieter.”
Comment by Matt — May 11, 2007 [AT] 5:14 pm
Do you know exactly the next emmergence or brood of magicicada in Illinois? Is it about 25 of May or later..
Thanks a lot for your answer
Comment by Gerard — May 3, 2007 [AT] 7:39 am
are you supposed to paint the exterior of your home during the cicadas? Will they spoil the paint job by attaching to the house? I would so appreciate an answer to this question!
Comment by iz reidy — April 30, 2007 [AT] 3:37 pm
They’ll aerate the areas around the trees, so you could still have the non-shaded areas done.
Comment by Dan — April 25, 2007 [AT] 2:13 pm
I was thinking of having my yard aerated this year, but since this is the year for cicada’s in my area, I wonder if I still need to. Will they do a good job of aerating the soil or should I hire someone to do this for me? Will this damage them if I do decide to aerate?
Comment by Beth in Chicago — April 25, 2007 [AT] 1:45 pm
My 10-year-old daughter has chosen the periodic cicadas as her school project subject. What she plans to do is attempt to calculate the number of cicadas that will emerge in our town. I am helping her with her math model, but she/we need a little help.
She needs to find the average number of cicadas that live under a single tree and a single bush. Also, the survival rates during the 17-year dormancy.
Any information source for this would be greatly appreciated.
Comment by scott johnson — April 24, 2007 [AT] 12:16 pm
Sir,
We intend to visit Chicago during June 2007. Please let us know whether we can joy our stay there? Whither Cicadas affect our stay & feel discomfort?
r.srinivasaraaghavan
Comment by R.SRINIVASARAAGHAVAN — April 17, 2007 [AT] 6:05 pm
the cicada is a japanes bug.
Comment by khalid — April 17, 2007 [AT] 8:53 am
I had a large tree removed down to the roots about 8 years ago. Will the cicadas still come out of the ground and, if so, where will they go?
Comment by Joe — April 10, 2007 [AT] 10:41 am
It’s 2 months away…we’re about to be hit in June with the 17 year breed here in the Chicago area. I plan to take many pictures and post them on http://www.seventeenyearcicada.com
This will be the third time I can remember seeing these creatures (I was four years old the first time and can’t recall 🙂
So stay tuned.
Comment by John — March 31, 2007 [AT] 3:55 pm
False alarm on cicadas in Fayetteville,NC. I went over to see what I could find, and it turned out to be thousands of frogs mating.
Comment by Laura — March 25, 2007 [AT] 9:51 am
March 25, 2007
I am in Fayetteville, NC and last night the buzz/chirping started across the lake. I’m walking over today to see if I can spot some cicadas.
Comment by Laura — March 25, 2007 [AT] 7:52 am
I have found in March 2007 a died couple (M & F) of cicada from the root of plant in desert of Thar(Pakistan)
http://www.colourthrophy.8m.com
rehman_azeemi [AT] yahoo.com
Comment by Anjum — March 22, 2007 [AT] 3:22 pm
hello all 5 pieces cicadas of 2 speces are avail able for reserchers contect rehman_azeemi [AT] yahoo.com
Anjum
Comment by Anjum — March 22, 2007 [AT] 3:15 pm
Cold blooded. All insects are cold blooded.
Comment by Dan — March 12, 2007 [AT] 7:59 pm
I have a question and answer sheet that i have to do for science and i was wondering if Cicadas are cold or warm blooded
Comment by Ari — March 12, 2007 [AT] 7:19 pm
The same questions on the life cycle and lifespan. please check FAQs on this website for ALL the answers
Comment by david — March 8, 2007 [AT] 6:52 pm
How long do cicadas live and what’s there lifecycle?
Comment by bob — March 5, 2007 [AT] 4:12 pm
That question again… Cicadas are cicadas and locusts are grasshopper. They are not the same.
Comment by Dan — March 1, 2007 [AT] 9:40 am
Are cicadas and locust the same or are they different and if they are how so?
Comment by billy — February 28, 2007 [AT] 5:57 pm
The advantage is predators don’t have time to adapt to their behavior.
Comment by Dan — February 25, 2007 [AT] 3:13 pm
What possible survival advantage can a 17 year life cycle have?
Comment by Chris Gladstone — February 25, 2007 [AT] 1:31 pm
hi all cicada lovers do you need any audio vedio or dry cicada of many speces for resersh only reserchers will be oblized
rehmany2k64 [AT] yahoo.com
Comment by Anjum — January 17, 2007 [AT] 1:10 pm
hi all cicada lovers do you need any audio vedio or dry cicada of many speces for resersh only reserchers will be oblized
Comment by Anjum — January 17, 2007 [AT] 1:08 pm
This page represents 171 sightings, comments and questions about the Brood XIII emergence in 20007. The next emergence happens in 2024.
Jennifer — what you have isn’t Magicicadas, but another species like Tibicen. Tibicen emerge in late summer and not in broods.
Comment by Dan — August 10, 2007 [AT] 9:21 am
I live in Pleasant Grove, Alabama near Birmingham. We’ve evidentally got a large brood of cicadas here. I heard them in the trees the other day while out for my walk. It was deafening. I had no idea what they were. Last night one flew in the house and scared me half to death. I did a little research and found out what this bird-sized insect was. Now I am fascinated.
Comment by Jennifer — August 10, 2007 [AT] 8:41 am
Hello JK Fuller
I live in New York and could send you a dead specimen of a cicada if you so desire! Are you looking for a Periodical Cicada or Tibicen species?
Comment by Elias — July 10, 2007 [AT] 5:00 pm
I forgot to mention, I am in the middle of Dallas — Fort Worth metroplex in Texas.
Comment by Shelley — July 7, 2007 [AT] 9:01 pm
ok — I think I have cicada’s in my yard. I realize this is a board for cicada lovers, and I am not. I don’t go kill things, because I believe they are here for a purpose. However, they are scary the crap out of me while I am trying to weed. I realized today that the gigantic junebugs were only the shell of a bug… and that got me to thinking — where is the live one? I don’t know how to post a picture, but I do have two… is there someone I can email? I think if I knew what they were… then they wouldn’t be so scarry. Thanks — sunriseh2o [AT] yahoo.com
Comment by Shelley — July 7, 2007 [AT] 9:00 pm
Anybody aware of any Cicada groups around Chicago that might be expected to still be around in the next 5 days or so? I’d love to get one last look at a good-size group before they disappear for the next 17 years!
Comment by pat — July 6, 2007 [AT] 11:49 pm
They are still plentiful and very active in Blue Star Memorial Forest Preserves on Lake Avenue in Glenview as of today, July 3rd. They seem to be a later group than those in Schiller Woods as there are barely any dead bodies in the Glenview preserve. Hurray!!!! Had much fun playing with the little darlings. =0)
Comment by Caerann — July 3, 2007 [AT] 6:31 pm
The cicadas are ebbing but still going strong in the forest preserves just east of O’Hare. Here’s some of my photos:
IMAGES ARE MISSING.
Comment by ramon — June 30, 2007 [AT] 12:53 pm
Can anyone send me a (dead) Cicada?
A few years ago I took my wife, a California girl, to Virginia where she heard cicadas for the frist time and was completely facinated. We happened to find a great cicada specimin but I managed to let the birds get it and she was heartbroken.
Can anyone supply me with an American (I know I can get them from China on Ebay)?
Thanks!
(remove the zz from my email)
Comment by JKFuller — June 29, 2007 [AT] 8:03 am
You say it was fun, but you’re trying to kill off the next generation — some people…
Comment by Dan — June 29, 2007 [AT] 6:50 am
Hey,well.,looks like their pretty much gone,here on the west side of Wonder Lake.weekend of 6/16,they where still quite loud and active,but also dropping off the tree tops,by 6/20,they where dropping by the shovel full,and their sing was becoming much softer,by the weekend of 6/24,only the slightest sound,and dropping from the trees.Now 6/29 ,theirs no sound and only afew have dropped from the trees.now where left with the cleanup and hope they didn’t damage my English Oak,which I started from a acorn, to badly,The tree is on its 4th year,and it got alot of little slits,I’am hoping that by spraying small areas of the tree,it will kill the eggs.It was alot of fun while it lasted.
Comment by j.mayer — June 29, 2007 [AT] 3:13 am
I thought it was slowing down,but today I decided to go back to the Lagrange woods one more time. As I turned left on to Lagrange rd from joliet rd,I started hearing more and more Cicadas from both sides of the road while driving. I turned into the woods and there were many pockets of Cicadas still singing. I got out of my car and was watching them fly everywhere. One Cicada landed on the top of my hand, then we watched each other for ten minutes and he flew off to join his friends. If you have time,go see for yourself because 17 years is a long time to wait. They are also still strong at the forest preserves at Harlem av and Joliet Rd.
Comment by Rob — June 25, 2007 [AT] 6:53 pm
Are they dying yet? I have had enough of them in River Grove,Il.
Comment by Kathy — June 25, 2007 [AT] 10:33 am
Well they are pretty much gone in Brookfield, the din and the chirping have drastically stopped.
You can see the evidence of the egg-laying by the browning of the trees all over the place.
I still see a few stragglers here and there, but they are few and far between.
I believe Brookfield was one of the first emergence areas so not suprizing they have checked out here early.
Comment by Pablo — June 22, 2007 [AT] 5:17 pm
If your around the forest preserves on harlem ave and joliet rd, they are still singing loudly. I posted yesterday on the Lagrange woods, but put it in the question section. It was very quiet with only pockets of Cicadas still singing. Maybe they were one of the first to emerge.Last week, it was very much louder.If anyone seen todays wgntv news at noon,then you heard what Tom Skilling said about Cicadas. I sent him an email,but I know it will never get answered.
Comment by rob — June 21, 2007 [AT] 6:52 pm
In my area of Wheaton it’s definitely much quieter over the past few days.
Comment by Lucy — June 21, 2007 [AT] 10:38 am
cicadas really seem to be dying off. Has anyone else noticed this? Not nearly as loud or prevalent….
Comment by jb — June 21, 2007 [AT] 7:09 am
Sorry for the last two entries (shows I dont know what im doing). Here are the links to the pic and the video:
Comment by Maria — June 18, 2007 [AT] 11:04 am
Sorry, I didnt tell you we were there Saturday and Sunday June 16/17.
Comment by Maria — June 18, 2007 [AT] 10:20 am
We were at Lake Geneva at Aurora University and the Cicada were EVERYWHERE. When we got there, as soon as we opened our windows, WOW… what a sound!! I managed to get a couple of great pictures and even recording their song. Not sure how to post it on here, but would be glad to.
Comment by Maria — June 18, 2007 [AT] 10:17 am
I’m heading to Lake Geneva, WI, the weekend of June 23-25. Could anyone tell me a good place to look for the caicadas? I would really love to see them or at the very least see the remains of a hatch and hear the songs.
Comment by Sheilah — June 18, 2007 [AT] 7:01 am
Have all of the cicadas emerged already? I live in Grayslake and still haven’t spotted any. Is it possible the soil around here still isn’t warm enough for them to emerge?
Comment by Gramps — June 17, 2007 [AT] 5:36 pm
Saw a few dead ones in Wheaton this morning, although the trees were full of singing cicadas yesterday.
Comment by Lucy — June 17, 2007 [AT] 4:52 am
Palos Heights is crawling with these things. I can’t cut my grass without dozens of them dive-bombing my face and getting caught in my hair. So many are now dying around my trees that it looks like Cicada mulch. The smell isn’t pretty either. Their wings are pretty, but I’m not a big fan
Comment by Colleen — June 17, 2007 [AT] 3:52 am
June 16 — Northeast side of West Chicago — No sign of any cicadas here until yesterday (Fri June 15), we saw & heard a few Friday, lots more heard today.
Not sure where they are emerging from, there are no signs of exit holes anywhere, but it sure sounds like they are FINALLY starting to show signs of life around here, although not in the huge numbers I have seen elsewhere.
Comment by Dave — June 16, 2007 [AT] 4:42 pm
Found one in my yard in Georgia this week
Comment by Susan Williams — June 15, 2007 [AT] 7:16 pm
Today I was boating down the Cedar River near Atalissa, Iowa. When we reached a portion of the river near the Wiese Slough Wildlife Management Area, my friend and I heard the cicadas singing. We found a cicada floundering around in the river, pulled it out and let it fly away. After we got back to my parents cabin we could hear more cicadas in the woods but due to the horrendous amounts of mosquitoes we didn’t go and check it out. But I can definately say in this part of Eastern Iowa, the cicadas are out, although apparently not in the huge numbers they are in Illinois.
Comment by Joel — June 14, 2007 [AT] 5:47 pm
Here are some photos of one that literally followed me out to my car in the parking lot of Hewitt building 3OP in Lincolnshire. I walked past it, it turned around and followed me.. I picked it up and took it home in my car’s glove box and then proceeded to take photos of it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/legoguy/tags/cicadas/
Comment by Andrew Keyser — June 14, 2007 [AT] 4:23 pm
Cicadas are all around Lincolnshire (esp. around the area of Hewitt buildings; they’re trying to get in through the revolving doors… unfortunately for them, it doesn’t work so well)
They’re also in Vernon Hills (near Westfield mall), and a VERY audible drone is coming from the MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve across rt. 21 from the mall.
This is somewhat close to the Old School Forest preserve (which I reported on last week)
Still waiting for them to show up in Gurnee next to the intersection of 45 & washington where my house is..
Comment by Andrew Keyser — June 14, 2007 [AT] 10:19 am
June 7, Large emergence in Big Foot Beach State Park (southern Wisconsin next to Lake Geneva). They emerged on the 7th and were still sitting low on the bushes the 8th and the morning of the 9th. As the day warmed up on the 9th they began to fly up into the trees. There was some singing, but it was not deafening yet.
I also visited a business park in Chicago, IL (Hewlitt?). Very loud with lots of fungus infected individuals.
Magicicada do not seem to sing as loud as other cicada species (as individuals). Is that true?
Comment by Douglas — June 14, 2007 [AT] 10:07 am
Valerie: its normal not to hear then at night. The only time you’ll hear them at night is if there’s enough artificial light present to made them think it’s daytime. It isn’t unusual to have small numbers of the insects in some areas.
Comment by Dan — June 14, 2007 [AT] 6:21 am
I live in south Wheaton. I hear the cicadas during the heat of the day but not at night. Is this normal? Also, there seem to be very few of them. I’ve only actually seen four bugs and I spend a lot of time outside.
Comment by Valerie McIntyre — June 14, 2007 [AT] 5:07 am
Coming into work this morning the side patio was littered with dead Magicicadas which I was surprised to see since we are in a fairly new industrial park, we’re at I55 and Weber Road in Romeoville. Do you think they emerged from this location or traveled here?
Comment by Mary B — June 14, 2007 [AT] 4:23 am
Well, I haven’t seen a single Magicicada until today. In Aurora,IL, they pretty much emerged today. I have only seen and heard Magicicada cassinis so far. No M. septendecim. Many of them are still very small. One landed on my neck and began to sing a song.
Comment by Daniela — June 13, 2007 [AT] 7:40 pm
You will not believe this. First of all, we live in Plainfield, in a subdivision that is only 10 years old. Yesterday morning, my 8 yr old son found a cicada at the bottom of the swimming pool. We got it out, it was stiff as a board, but my 6 yr old daughter wanted to keep it. We put it in a tupperware container, and this morning, IT WAS ALIVE! It sat at the bottom of our pool for at least 12 hours, and in a sealed container for another 12, and still lived!! We don’t know what to do with it, as it can’t move it’s wings enough to fly away. We don’t want any animals to eat it. These are amazing creatures!
Comment by Jill — June 13, 2007 [AT] 5:25 pm
I finally got to see some! One of the guys I work with brought some to work (in a cicada house) and they are so cool! Smaller than I imagined, but it sure made my day. I released them under a big tree, and they climbed right up and started singing.
Comment by Lucy — June 13, 2007 [AT] 3:56 pm
I am a long-time resident and nature photographer in Chicago, and remember the last invasion in ’90 (when I was 22). This time, it seems like there are even more.
I also drive a lot for work, and this gives me the unique opportunity to travel to/enjoy the surrounding suburbs. As the weeks have gone on, I noticed an increasing amount of cicadas until yesterday (the 12th), which I would estimate is the absolute peak for their numbers out in Elmhurst, where they are all over the downtown, and…
An incredible visual and auditory experience can be had if you head straight to the Des Plaines River Forest Preserves on Lake Ave., just east of River Road. There are tons, and the noise is so loud it is almost deafening.. after even 10 minutes of it, you almost have in your head what happens when you leave a loud rock concert!
I highly recommend to anyone who hasn’t experienced this relatively-rare nature phenomenon to get out and do it (and obtain photographic or video evidence)… for too many people simply take it for granted, and we won’t have this opportunity here again for 17 more years!
It is truly remarkable.
Thank you.
Comment by Bob Collins — June 13, 2007 [AT] 5:37 am
Brookfield is infested with them, went for a bike ride in the forest preserve near the zoo and the noise was deafening.
Comment by Tony — June 12, 2007 [AT] 2:09 pm
I live in Ottawa, Illinois and I’ve seen only one! Ottawa is near Marseilles, which is full of them, so I’m thinking the little guy (or girl) got lost. Here’s a picture of my little buddy sitting on my hand:
IMG NO LONGER EXISTS.
By the way, can anyone give me any information pertaining to Ottawa’s cicadas, or lack thereof?
Comment by Courtney — June 12, 2007 [AT] 9:59 am
check out the forest preserve just south of the tollway and the cumberland exit. The noise is so loud, that even with the car windows rolled up, ac on, and in traffic, you can hear the cicadas as you drive on the nw tollway! They are very active here, flying low.
Comment by S.Jensen — June 12, 2007 [AT] 6:26 am
They might be — they might be running out of steam.
Comment by Dan — June 11, 2007 [AT] 8:50 pm
New question Dan. I noticed today that the cicadas are flying lower than they have been the last few weeks. Are they wearing out? I really don’t want to get covered in them so I run to my apartment!!
Comment by Michelle — June 11, 2007 [AT] 7:34 pm
Tons of cicadas near the Purdue-North Central campus in Westville. Other than the area in Valparaiso at the intersection of US 6 and state route 49, not to many other spots in Laporte / Porter counties in Indiana.
Comment by Tbone — June 11, 2007 [AT] 4:53 pm
I was driving on Lorraine Rd. in Wheaton and, finally, heard the cicadas singing. It wasn’t deafening, but I hope they’ll be more the warmer it gets this week. I’m so anxious to see one.
Comment by Lucy — June 11, 2007 [AT] 4:18 pm
Sat JUN 09 2007 LOTS of cicadas flying across North Ave in Elmhurst between York Rd & Rt 83, also southside of I290 on the way to Oak Park & on Irving Park Rd in the Forest Preserves in Schiller Park. Even with the windows up, the noise is deafening.
Comment by PlantLust — June 11, 2007 [AT] 12:40 pm
I live in an old section of Lombard and they are out in force here! The noise is ear-splitting! For awhile it seemed as though it wouldn’t be as heavy an infestation as in 1990, but then the heat hit—and so did they! Some have even managed to crawl inside the netting I put on some of my shrubs. Amazingly, they are also out in the parking lots at Wannemakers on Ogden and the Trader Joe lot, also on Ogden!
Comment by Pat — June 11, 2007 [AT] 10:19 am
The forest preserves along the Desplaines River in Schiller Park are loaded with cicadas now. We went to a parking area on Irving Park Rd right along the river yesterday. The sound of their calls was louder than I’ve heard it yet and the trees are loaded with them flying among the branches and over the road. One even flew into our car window while we were driving! I think he was kind of mad that we wouldn’t let him out until we stopped the car near a tree (we didn’t want him getting hit by a car in the heavy traffic). He kept buzzing while we held him until we let him fly away.
I have a question about the sound they make. When we hear it in some areas where it is the loudest we actually hear two pitches. One is the buzzing that you expect to hear and the other is a higher pitched buzz sort of like the sound a jet makes when it is off in the distance and coming towards you. Is this change in pitch the sound of the cicadas coming from a distance? Or is it an echo of the sound? Or is one species making the lower sound and one species making the higher sound?
Comment by RH — June 10, 2007 [AT] 10:47 am
Rykk’s photos below are of a Pandora Sphinx moth.
Comment by T. Paul Wrobel — June 10, 2007 [AT] 3:51 am
Hello,
I saw this yesterday at work here in Virginia Beach. I walked back to the office and took this picture with my camera phone before it moved too far away. It looks just like a cicada, except the wings are solid, not clear and veiny. I’m posting both my original picture and my amateur attempt to brighten it up. The green is a very bright green, and the dark green is very dark. It also had it’s wings splayed out instead of backwards.
If it is a cicada, what kind is it?
IMAGES NO LONGER EXIST.
Comment by Rykk — June 9, 2007 [AT] 11:30 pm
The woods are loaded with them at Rt 6 and Old 49 north of Valparaiso,IN but not much else to the west. I did hear one for a short time in my tree in the front yard, but it was soon silent and no exoskeletons in my yard. Strange how they can be loaded in one area and absent in another adjacent area. Too much development I guess.
Comment by Dan — June 9, 2007 [AT] 9:02 pm
OH my gosh in the burbs of chicago in a forest preserve near the last exit on the tollway. by o’hare airport, ,MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF CICADAS!!! (literally im not kidding) my freind was right next to me and i had to yell for him to hear me 2 feet away over the 90 decible sound of cicadas. there were literally clouds of them. I cought about 200 in this bucket and let them go at a local forest near my house. you can see the whole life cycle!!! the nymphs, the mating, the shedding skin, a jet flew over and they got louder to OVERPOWER THE JET ENGINE 150 FEET ABVOVE US!!!! when we left my ears were aching from the sound. anyway you got the messege. lots of cicadas! TOLL WAY NEAR O’HARE!!! ROLL WINDOWS DOWN AND LISTEN> THEYRE IN SOME WOODS> THERES SO MANY YOU CAN SEE EM FLYIN AROUND!!!
Comment by Elijah — June 9, 2007 [AT] 7:20 pm
If you go straight west on 290, go to Elmhurst or Villa Park, you won’t have to do any hunting, they are everywhere here, i can’t find a way to get away from them in Villa Park.
Comment by jb — June 9, 2007 [AT] 4:51 pm
Hi, anyone know where the best place to go cicado hunting is? I’m new to the chicago area and want to see these bugs. Willing to drive out the ‘burbs, but unsure where to go. Thanks for any tips.
Comment by Amy — June 9, 2007 [AT] 11:49 am
Reporting about 10 (ten) Cicadas spotted in the Old School Forest Preserve in Libertyville, IL.
Pics up on flickr, here:
Comment by Andrew Keyser — June 8, 2007 [AT] 8:34 pm
I just wanted to report that I’ve heard cicadas in the forest preserves on Thornton Lansing Rd in Thornton, IL
as well as Lansing, IL in the area of Stony Island Ave.
I drive through Homewood, IL every day on the way home from work
and it’s quite noisy so I do know what they sound like.
They’re not swarming but I did feel like I wanted to
roll the windows up in my car as I was traveling
down 183rd St in Homewood.
Comment by Judy W. — June 8, 2007 [AT] 1:42 pm
Thanks Dan for for the answer, the drone is back again! I started out terrified by these little fellas and now I’m kind of taken by them, how weird is that!! I’m still kind of scared of them, but don’t tell anyone!! I still visit this website every day despite my reservations.
Comment by Michelle — June 8, 2007 [AT] 11:41 am
Yes- they need to dry out and be reasonably warm to sing.
Comment by Dan — June 8, 2007 [AT] 10:07 am
It’s so weird, all of the sound of cicadas is gone after the storms last night. I live in Downers Grove and we have a large amount in the trees outside our apartment. This morning there is no droning sound and I looked out the window and it looks like they’re all hanging on the trees sleeping or something. Anyone knows what’s up?
Comment by Michelle — June 8, 2007 [AT] 8:45 am
I live in Lombard and they’re HORRIBLE!! I think with today’s heat they decided to be really active. They are flying all over the place. The trees are full of constantly moving cicadas. I cannot safely make it to my car in the driveway. Neither the front or rear entrance is safe. A few rogue cicadas have made it inside by riding on my husband’s shirt and shoe. Ugh. My mom is in La Grange and we argue about who has it worse. My husband works in Oak Park and seen very few. I don’t mind the noise, I just can’t stand them flying all around.
Comment by Ellen — June 7, 2007 [AT] 10:10 pm
I live in a heavily wooded area in Lisle, not far from the Arboretum. We haven’t seen ANY here. You might hear a single one up in a tree now and then, but that’s it. I’m wondering if they are going to miss us, or if they will be here late. Anyone out there with answers????
Comment by Robin — June 7, 2007 [AT] 7:54 pm
West Nile Virus spray? Maybe. If they sprayed when the cicada were out and laying eggs. Normally pesticide is inert by the time in gets deep into the ground where they live.
Comment by Dan — June 7, 2007 [AT] 5:15 pm
We live on River Road — across from Schiller Woods in Schiller Park Illinois along the DesPlaines River….17 years ago the cicadas were so heavy in the DesPlaines — Oak Park area along River Road…they sounded like hail hitting the window when you’d drive through the woods…this time…nothing….we’ve seen a few half dead ones crawling on the ground — and on trees….but nothing at all like last time…is it over? Did they skip us? What gives? I know they sprayed the woods very heavily the past few years because of the West Nile Virus hitting alot of locals — I’m wondering if this coulda’ killed ’em off….any input would be appreciated.
Comment by John Vilona — June 7, 2007 [AT] 11:39 am
This morning on my way to work, i was driving with my window half way open, when all of a sudden i feel something hit me on the head. I looked to the backseat and happened to find a Cicada. The little fracker hit me on da head! lol….
Comment by Miguel A. Beltran — June 6, 2007 [AT] 4:25 pm
Oh my gosh they are everywhere! Massive amounts, we’re talking thousands upon thousands in Villa Park. They are flying into my car while driving and swarms flying about everywhere.
Comment by Sheri — June 6, 2007 [AT] 11:01 am
live in Crystal Lake and have been looking for 2 weeks, if they aren’t here already will they never be here, do i need to do some searching in other areas or just wait longer? Anyone know anything?
Comment by stephanie — June 6, 2007 [AT] 10:21 am
They truly are an incredible phenemonom of nature….none to very few in Libertyville but are in numbers in Lake Forest and I went to the western suburbs Saturday and it was unreal…..literally trillions in Western Springs Hinsdale La Grange The Morton Arboretum etc…..thye have to be sen and heard to be believed !
Comment by Bill — June 5, 2007 [AT] 10:55 am
Okay, I’m trying to find the miraculous wonder and intrigue that you guys have been delighting in with these cicadas.
Although it’s been facinating reading about them, as I travel through Chicago’s Beverly area on my way to work and see legions of cicadas swarming tree’s to my left and to my right, up and down both 99th and 103rd street I know in my heart what is true.I will probably still raise my car windows with the sincere belief that if one of these things were to touch me I’d go into cardiac arrest, pass out and ultimately die.
Forgive me.
Comment by Melissa — June 4, 2007 [AT] 6:07 pm
Another fantastic site to view the magicicadas is the campus of Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL. We had a wonderful time with the kids listening and watching all phases of cicada life!!! Very scenic, easy to park and walk around. Check it out!
Comment by S.Jensen — June 4, 2007 [AT] 4:44 pm
hey,
incredible,thousands upon thousands flying thruout the trees,sing,kind of a bummer cleaning up after the empty shell casings.7:30 PM the backyard was boiling with another batch of nymph’s.W. side of Wonder Lake.Il.
Comment by j.mayer — June 4, 2007 [AT] 2:57 am
Amazingly I just heard an (unmistakable) septendecim from my backyard here in Bloomington, Indiana (south central part of the state). Is this a Brood XIII cicada way out of its territory or a Brood X straggler (3 years late)?
Comment by Mike Gasser — June 3, 2007 [AT] 8:14 am
JUST UPDATED my site. Check it out. Lots of images of the Midwest magicicadas.
https://www.seventeenyearcicada.com
PS Please put a link on your homepage.
Comment by John — June 2, 2007 [AT] 11:45 pm
We went to Goodrich Park in Naperville, IL today and my what a sight! We were driving to another location to see the cicadas but as we drove past Goodrich we heard the deafening buzz of the cicadas even though we had the windows rolled up and music playing. We got a few pictures that I uploaded on Flickr, but I have to say that several hours later my ears are still ringing! I’m thrilled I got to experience this.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8466803@N04/
My fave pic: 
Comment by Tonya — June 2, 2007 [AT] 8:25 pm
Went to McKinley Woods in Channahon today to see the cicadas, and lots of exit holes and shells, but they’re all way up in the trees so on the way home, near the I&M Canal and Rt. 6 heard the unmistakeable buzz and pulled over only to be surrounded by many Magicicadas! I gotta tell you that they get kinda ticked off when you try and pick them off a branch and let you know so. I think they know they’ve got a job to do and don’t detract them from it!
What a beautiful work of art this insect is and what a shame they’re with us only once every 17 years.
Comment by Mary B — June 2, 2007 [AT] 5:35 pm
I live in Alsip, IL and I haven’t seen any cicadas yet, but I can hear them in the woods along the Cal Sag Channel.
Comment by Julie B — June 2, 2007 [AT] 2:26 pm
Sugar Grove, Il
I have not seen a single cicada as of yet in my area. Even went to the forest preserve [Bliss Woods], not a thing. When do we giv up looking for them?
Comment by Deb — June 1, 2007 [AT] 11:39 am
IF THEY ARE NOT OUT BE NOW JUNE 1ST DOES THAT MEAN MY AREA WILL NOT GET THEM?
Comment by JOE TEPE — June 1, 2007 [AT] 9:17 am
A friend of mine spotted two cicadas at the McBride Raptor Center outside of Iowa City, Iowa last night.
Comment by Joel — June 1, 2007 [AT] 6:18 am
I volunteer at the Macbride Raptor Center in Solon, IA, and spotted at least 2 cicadas in the woods there last night. I almost stepped on one, but was careful to navigate on my way to the nature center. I’ll keep my eye out for further sightings.
Comment by Dawn — June 1, 2007 [AT] 6:16 am
Nothing so far in the Cary area. Does anyone think the weird weather this year has anything to do with the inconsistency? Haven’t seen or heard one at all.
Comment by TJ — June 1, 2007 [AT] 5:38 am
I was at the Rogers Lakewood park in Valparaiso and saw thousands upon thousands of shedded skins at the bases of trees and clinging to the lower branches. Saw a few unsuccessful emergences stuck dead in their shells too. Many, many gulls were picking through the grass and eating them. Hopefully the gulls didn’t make a dent in the adult numbers as I don’t think gulls this far inland is a natural thing….they are scavengers.
Comment by Dan — June 1, 2007 [AT] 4:04 am
one of these SOB’s fell in my orange juice cup this morning. they’re getting out of control. i can’t wait til they’re gone. how much longer do we have to deal with them?
Comment by jb — May 31, 2007 [AT] 1:29 pm
Highland Park, IL
Went outside this morning and there was no mistaking the cicada’s chorus that greeted me. There definately emerging on a consistant basis in our area, but if it’s going to be anything like it was in 1990, I would have to say that the majority of them are still underground. Can’t imagine how loud they will be when the rest of them arrive! Looking forward to it though, as I think it is a very cool sound.
Comment by DV — May 31, 2007 [AT] 8:47 am
hey,
day by day where seeing more,our backyard,as hundreds of empty shells,with more showing up every day.incredible yet odd,they showed up on 5-24,by sat.5-26 we could here them in the distant s,everyday it sounds a bit closer / louder yet our trees are silent,yesterday the sound appeared to be a couple blocks away,yet our trees and the neighbors are silent,has anyone else came across this?i know their still in the trees,when the birds land on the branches,the cicada’s scatter,odd.i have also noticed cicada’s with deformed wings or have died while shedding their shell. W.side of Wonder Lake.
Comment by j.mayer — May 31, 2007 [AT] 7:19 am
I’m way up in northern IL, in the easternmost corner… Has anyone seen or heard any up near me (Winthrop Harbor/Zion area)? I’ve taken my son to Van Patten woods on several days over the past couple weeks, but we’ve only found mosquitos!
Anything up near us???
Comment by Linda — May 31, 2007 [AT] 6:11 am
The emergence is on just east of Portage, IN. Just when I thought we wouldn’t get any, I heard a lone cicada in the tree a few doors down. I was working in my garden and noticed the ground just under the surface was riddled with holes a bit bigger around than a pencil. I have yet to find some skins, but they will turn up. I remember them here as a kid in 1973 and am glad they have not been wiped out by development.
Comment by Dan — May 30, 2007 [AT] 7:20 pm
I posted in the wrong spot!! They are the Magicicada cicadas up in McHenry! They are on Chickaloon Drive, and some can be found on Curran Road. Once you turn onto Chickaloon, start looking at the trees, amilboxes, telephone poles, whatever… they are on it!! Once you turn onto Chickaloon, if you drive about 1 block, you will start to see them. There are newly hatched ones, the “ghost” ones, and adults are flying, singing and buzzing around! There are so many empty shells littering the ground as well! It was an awesome spectacle of nature!! This was at 6:30 pm today, 5-30-07!
Comment by Kathryn — May 30, 2007 [AT] 5:51 pm
I haven’t seen any in Chesterton, Indiana or in the Indiana Dunes. I wonder if the sandy soil keeps them away. But yesterday (May 29) after work I drove to the Moraine Nature Preserve just south of Highway 6 and just east of Calumet Ave. (Old 49). As I approached my usual parking spot, I spotted empty skins on the trees, a hopeful sign. I parked at the edge of the forest and the beginning of a prairie, stepped out, and immediately heard the hummmmm. It wasn’t deafening, but it was very apparent and it seemed to come from all directions. A few steps from my car and there they were in all their buggie red-eyed glory: perched on trees, climbing up blades of grass, and, pretty quickly, climbing up me. I’m used to the skittish annual cicadas, so was a bit surprised (despite all I’d read) at how docile these little critters really are. What an amazing the force of nature! I’m definitely coming back here again to enjoy the “show.”
Comment by Steve — May 30, 2007 [AT] 12:11 pm
If you get a chance to see the cicadas shedding their shells, don’t miss it. Its a beautiful sight! It happens sometime between 9 pm -11 pm, maybe also as late as midnight. We don’t have cicadas naturally in our backyard, but we saw a yard where all of the trees had their trunks wrapped in plastic to keep the cicadas from climbing them, so we took about 30 of them home, let most of them go on a tree in our backyard and kept a few in a terrarium. It was amazing watching them come out of their shells! They are completely white except for 2 little black stripes on the top of their heads that look like bushy eyebrows above their red eyes. Their wings are shriveled up little stubs but after they are totally out of the shell, their wings start to unfold and they look like they are wearing white lace wedding dresses as they spread out their wings to let them dry.
The heaviest gathering of cicadas that we’ve seen so far is in La Grange and Countryside, but I’ve heard that Brookfield Zoo has a lot of them too.
Comment by RH — May 30, 2007 [AT] 7:25 am
They are emerging in Franklin Park as of a couple hours ago. It’s like hundreds came out of no where. I have not seen any in Melrose Park, Northlake,River Grove. Oak Park or Forest Park.
Comment by Franklin Park IL — May 29, 2007 [AT] 9:37 pm
Northbrook. I think I might have begun to hear the cicada’s songs this morning. Maybe?! I was sitting on my porch and, suddenly, all the squirrels and chipmunks started acting totally nuts! I then noticed a sort of background humming noise that seemed to be getting louder. I dunno…maybe it was a truck! The cicadas are in full force a couple blocks over and are now coming out in droves every night in my block.
Comment by Shelly — May 29, 2007 [AT] 7:32 am
My parents live in Forest Park and as of Saturday the cicadas had not yet emerged. People I know in Western Springs and Park Ridge have both had emergences already.
Comment by Bruno Cattivabrutto — May 29, 2007 [AT] 7:07 am
I live in wilmette and have a seen a few dead carcasses on the sidewalk so far. I grew up in a ciccada-free location, though we did have gang violence. any idea how much of this is going to hit wilmette? I haven’t heard of any wilmette/evanston/winnetka sightings. do they come to the lakefront as much as western suburbs?
My wife is really terrified and she was 13 the last time around and she describes the ciccadas like a zombie movie — crunch, crunch, crunch.
Comment by briand — May 28, 2007 [AT] 7:10 pm
their threw out are neighborhood now,early mornings,backyard has youngster that cracked out during the nite,we can hear them afew blocks away ,but not a sound is coming from our backyard yet.Wonder Lake,Il.
Comment by j.mayer — May 28, 2007 [AT] 7:18 am
Saw a ton of shells yesterday on trees and lightposts driving through part of River Forest (Forest Park?) by Chicago Ave and Thatcher.
Went back today to the nature center at the forest preserve at that intersection, and saw alot of adults hanging out, and empty shells. More of them than I’d expect had deformed wings. Got to see one of them hatch out of its shell, a recently hatched one with unfurled wings, still white, and another nymph getting started. Took a lot of pictures, which I’ll send along. They are so cool! This is my first time seeing the magicicadas. Where I grew up in Detroit we only ever got the annual ones.
Comment by Melanie — May 27, 2007 [AT] 8:05 pm
I have seen lots of cicadas in my neighborhood. This evening my husband and I were out on the driveway and yard around our house and we saw dozens of nymphs coming out of the grass, crawling across our driveway, heading for trees. I went to look for molting nymphs in my neighbor’s garden, and eureka! I saw several in various stages of molting, including one with new wings, another with growing wings, and another literally hanging from its shell. I felt something on my leg while I was standing there, and saw nymphs crawling up my leg!
In the mornings, we see newly grown adults just resting on our house and our deck. They are easy to pick up and I brought a few to school the other day to show my students.
I expected lots of cicadas here (Des Plaines), because seventeen years ago they were very prevalent when I lived just two blocks from where I live now!
However, I haven’t really HEARD them yet!
Comment by Katy Berman — May 27, 2007 [AT] 8:05 pm
We saw thousands at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. It’s fair to say the ground was crawling with them.
I’m sending a few pictures to the webmaster.
Comment by Bob Aldaz — May 27, 2007 [AT] 3:48 pm
I didn’t actually see any cicadas, but while driving through Elmhurst & Glen Ellyn this afternoon their unmistakable singing was very loud.
Comment by Lucy — May 27, 2007 [AT] 1:09 pm
I drove to Illinois from Detroit this morning to photograph the cicadas. I didn’t find the numbers I was hoping for but did see a few hundred. I found them in DuPage county at Fullersburg Woods, Maple Grove and York Woods Forest Preserves but the majority were on trees in the Hinsdale business park.
Comment by T. Paul Wrobel — May 26, 2007 [AT] 9:01 pm
I haven’t seen a single Cicada. I Live in Michigan City, Indiana. I was really looking forward to at least hearing a few. Per the Brood 13 map, we are supposed to be getting some, anyone know?
Comment by Michael Hodge — May 25, 2007 [AT] 10:22 pm
Well, I guess Naperville is not old enough for the cicadas. I grew up in Downers Grove and we had many many Cicadas as a kid. Too many corn fields around here. I have not seen one cicadas. Where have all the cicadas gone?? 🙁 🙁
Comment by Ray — May 25, 2007 [AT] 8:29 pm
I live in Flossmoor and I have been in this area all my life, so I’ve seen the ’56, ’73, and ’90 cicadas but I have never seen so many seagulls eating cicadas! It’s amazing! They fly down the street in large groups of about 50 birds and devour any cicadas on the ground or on the bottom of the tree trunks.
Comment by Sue — May 25, 2007 [AT] 5:16 pm
We’re in Elmhurst. They first showed up on the morning of the 23rd. There were 11 on our small tree in the front yard. Today, the same tree has over 100! But we’ve got a lot of big trees in our backyard, and holes every 6 to 8 inches in the lawn, and none have emerged there yet, so I think three’s plenty more to come… yikes!
Comment by Mike — May 25, 2007 [AT] 12:05 pm
For those of you that are missing out, come to Villa Park, there are thousands. Most still in shells but in a few days they will all be out. It’s going to be a nightmare, like a Hitchcock movie.
Comment by Sheri — May 25, 2007 [AT] 10:49 am
I found a newly emerged adult cicada coming out of it’s shell this morning in the 200 block of North Kenilworth in Oak Park. This is the first live cicada that I’ve seen this year. I brought it home to let my cats observe and one of my cats, Dino, ate it.
Comment by Rick Pavia — May 25, 2007 [AT] 8:35 am
New Lenox, IL
Finally got a nice showing at dawn (much to our surprise). Our 7 year old old was able to bring in the largest nymph we found getting ready to crawl up a tree along with an adult (in seperate jars) to school. Never seen a crowd of kids gather so fast to check them out! 🙂 3 year old also enjoyed showing the neighbors a nymph she’s going watch shed.
There were approx. 75 around around our elm tree and many shed skins on most trees we observed in neighboring yards.
Comment by Chrissie — May 25, 2007 [AT] 8:26 am
Highland Park, IL
It has begun… just before dusk last night we spotted several shells near the trees in our yard. Went back outside after dark and you couldn’t walk in the grass without stepping on them. It was quite an amazing site to see all of them navigating their way through the grass towards the nearest tree.
Comment by DV — May 25, 2007 [AT] 7:20 am
we now have 25/30 open shells in the backyard,and around 15 crawling around the house,hope this isn’t all will see.
Comment by j.mayer — May 24, 2007 [AT] 3:19 pm
Elmwood Park, IL.
Saw 3 shells on trees yesterday. Saw about 20 live cicadas on sidewalk at about 10 p.m. They seem to bask in the light of the streetlamp. Saw many shells on the sidewalks in E.P. while driving to work this morning!
Comment by Sandy — May 24, 2007 [AT] 8:56 am
I live in Highland Park. Last night we found 3 cicadas crawling out of their holes. With the warm weather we have been having, I was sure that the major emergence in our area would have occurred last night, but it didn’t. Still waiting…
Comment by DV — May 24, 2007 [AT] 7:00 am
Unfortunately, we won’t see any in Wilmington, even though I live along the river with huge old trees. My neighbors told me the cicadas don’t like Wilmington 🙂
Guess I’ll have to travel back to my old neighborhood in Westchester to visit with the grandkids of the cicadas I saw back in ’73.
Comment by Mary B — May 24, 2007 [AT] 6:36 am
I’m also still (impatiently) waiting in Lisle. I practically live in a forest, and I haven’t seen ONE here!
Comment by RG — May 24, 2007 [AT] 5:24 am
I want to see the Cicadas. No sign of them in downtown Naperville yet. Is tonight the night?
Comment by Ray — May 23, 2007 [AT] 9:22 pm
They’re here…..on Glenview, at least. I walked out the back door this morning — there were cicadas and shells everywhere. On the deck, the patio and all of the plants. I turned around and walked right back in! Our neighbor’s lawn had so many in it is looked like the lawn was moving. And I understand the big emergence isn’t until tonight and tomorrow. Ughhh!
Comment by Clare — May 23, 2007 [AT] 1:12 pm
Saw my first-ever magicicada on the Dominican University campus in River Forest just a few minutes ago, on the patio near the library. Haven’t seen any others yet, on campus or at home in Franklin Park.
Comment by Christine — May 23, 2007 [AT] 11:32 am
There were 11 on our tree yesterday. Today, my wife (who was in England in 1990) says she’s trapped in the house… They’re everywhere!
Comment by Mike — May 23, 2007 [AT] 10:28 am
They have just started emerging in Des Plaines, IL. Some shells on sidewalk and saw about 20 on one tree while walking dog. However, not everywhere YET!!
Very exciting!
Comment by Jan — May 23, 2007 [AT] 9:53 am
Noticed first shell on my driveway this AM. Belvidere, IL. I’m in a new sub division without any old trees so this guy had to travel more than 2-3 blocks.
Comment by B.Cihak — May 23, 2007 [AT] 7:35 am
They’re everywhere! Naperville, IL. I spotted thousands in the grass while I was walking my dogs.
Comment by Ben — May 23, 2007 [AT] 7:20 am
I was in the backyard yesterday,05-22.planting some day lillies,dug three small holes,about 8 deep,found five,young’ins just under the surface,west side of wonder lake,il.
Comment by j.mayer — May 23, 2007 [AT] 3:33 am
They were out, just as predicted, this morning in Elmhurst.
Comment by Kristi — May 22, 2007 [AT] 6:32 pm
We live in Orland Park and went on a cicada hunt last night and were able to find 6! By the time we were going in the house, they were coming out. We could hear the lava rocks in front of our house shifting as they emerged from the ground.
Comment by Kristen — May 22, 2007 [AT] 9:33 am
Thank God! I have not seen them… Lake Station, IN
Comment by Conni — May 22, 2007 [AT] 9:19 am
The last emergence I have seen of Brood XIII was in 1956 (moved from NW Indiana in ’71). I will be back in the Crown Point, IN area the second weekend in June and am looking forward to meeting the Great-grand children of the Magicada I met in 1956.
Comment by Richard Berg — May 22, 2007 [AT] 9:14 am
My students just took a field trip around our school to see if we could find any. We didn’t! We can’t wait. We are in Joliet, Illinois.
Comment by Jill Kelley — May 22, 2007 [AT] 8:59 am
I wish you guys would stop whining about the cicadas. They are beautiful creatures that only grace us with their presence every once every 17 YEARS! I, for one, can’t wait to get home from work so that I can sit outside and take in the beauty of these lovely creatures.
Comment by jt — May 22, 2007 [AT] 8:54 am
Lots started coming out yesterday and today here in Crown Point, IN. All stages. I grew up in Downers Grove and remember my dad shoveling them off the sidewalks with a snow shovel last time they emerged. Was curious to see if we’d see them here, and sure enough, our woods are full : )
Happy watching!
Comment by Crown Point IN — May 22, 2007 [AT] 8:52 am
My wife just called to tell me the cicadas are really starting to come out in Villa Park. She was taking my son for a walk and saw them beginning to cover the trees. I don’t think i want to come home from work today.
Comment by jb — May 22, 2007 [AT] 8:40 am
There are several in our backyard in Homewood (south suburbs) flying around. We saw the first two adults here Saturday, when it was 52 degrees! They almost seemed to have come out early by accident, they were pretty sluggish. I can’t wait to see the emergence really get going here, we had a LOT last time.
Comment by Vera — May 22, 2007 [AT] 8:33 am
Cicadas are so cool! I love finding them in my backyard and I love holding them. How do U know when they r gonna come out next? I totally love there colors and sounds they make so many of my friends hate these things but I don’t see y they aren’t harmfull!! See ya
Comment by Shawna Baker — May 22, 2007 [AT] 8:26 am
Sheri, I’m sorry that you don’t like these things. I find it simply amazing that they do this every 17 years. I wonder how long they’ve been doing this and how they got started. Millions of years??? Anybody know???
I lived in Cicero for the ’73 Cicada emergence. We really didn’t have any coming out of the ground or on trees where we lived. However, we did have a massive swarm one day that was like a black cloud that came through. A friend & I were playing wiffle ball when it happened, so we spent an hour swatting Cicada’s…kids!!!
I live in Westmont. I saw a bunch Sunday in our back back yard. A cold rain put the dampers on them and I saw NONE yesterday after work. NOT SO TODAY!!! They’re coming up out of the ground all over my yard. They’re on trees. They’re coming out of their shell, spreading their wings, and are white at first. I can only imagine the invasion when I get home from work tonight…looking forward to it.
Comment by Mike from Westmont, IL. — May 22, 2007 [AT] 6:56 am
My dog and I saw a few shell casings on our morning walk in Elmhurst, Illinois. Also, she found a still-blonde one in the grass — and ate it!
Comment by Ellen — May 22, 2007 [AT] 5:44 am
My daughter counted 13 in downtown Geneva, IL yesterday (Sunday) while working. 12 shells and 1 flying.
Comment by Bob Aldaz — May 21, 2007 [AT] 7:41 pm
Found a few on a sunny construction fence near my home in Elmhurst, IL — Saturday morning (5/19/2007).
Comment by Vincent Hradil — May 21, 2007 [AT] 10:58 am
None near the Kishwaukee river yet, but expect many as there are forest lands and parks with old trees. Looking for them in Dekalb county.
Comment by Debb — May 21, 2007 [AT] 10:48 am
Saw about 3 doxen cicadas while walking the dog this morning. I’m sure there’s more to come.
Comment by BonnieH — May 21, 2007 [AT] 9:33 am
I moved to Wilmington, IL, just over two years ago and live in a 50+ year old house with 50+ year old trees along the Kankakee River near the Des Plaines Conservation Area. I am sooo looking forward to having the cicadas in my yard, but I’m not sure if I’ll get any. I remember them from the spring of 1973 in Westchester and our yard was covered with them. I hope to see them soon (keeping my fingers crossed).
Comment by Mary B — May 21, 2007 [AT] 7:33 am
I went golfing today (Sunday May 20th) and as I went searching through the woods for my ball, I saw a Cicada sitting on a leaf near a small oak tree. The golf course is located near Henry, IL about 35 miles north of Peoria, IL…
Comment by Derek Scott — May 20, 2007 [AT] 8:33 pm
We live in a home built in 1923 with oak trees all over our front lawn just as old. While gardening on the 5th & 6th of May I noticed wholes appearing in the ground and saw a couple of dead cicadas sitting in them. By the next Monday I had counted over 100 holes in the ground. Today May 20th I saw 4 cicadas already. I think we are getting them WAAAAAY earlier then most, or so it’s sounds like.
Lombard, Illinois
Comment by Kimberly — May 20, 2007 [AT] 7:41 pm
We recently moved to MI and was wondering what parts of the state will see the Cicadas. We had them in WV and they totally freaked me out. We are in the middle of Michigan. Is there any way to check and see when they plan to attack our area? Thanks!
Comment by Carol — May 20, 2007 [AT] 7:39 pm
It’s not cool Mike, it’s terrifying, I’m already starting to hyperventilate. How can you guys be so calm about this, oh yeah, you’re guys. Personally, I don’t want cicadas getting caught in my hair and sticking to my clothes, in the car, etc..
Comment by Sheri — May 20, 2007 [AT] 7:10 pm
I live in Westmont, Illinois. The Cicada’s are coming up in sunny areas. My back backyard is LOADED. I see some coming up here and there in the areas of my property that are mostly shady. The birds are having a treat. And I’m seeing variety of birds that I rarely see going after them. Pretty cool!!!
Comment by Mike — May 20, 2007 [AT] 2:15 pm
A single Magicicada flew into me while I was gardening in my backyard this afternoon in Wheaton, IL. There are no obvious cicada chimneys in my yard, so I’m not sure where he/she came from.
Comment by Cheryl — May 20, 2007 [AT] 12:57 pm
Emergence has begun in Palos Heights, IL. The Forest Preserve accross the street is loaded with cicado. They have already shed their exoskelton and are everywhere. It’s great.
Comment by Sandy — May 20, 2007 [AT] 12:40 pm
Emergence has begun in LaGrange. As of this morning (5/20), we have a sprinling of split shells and adults in various parts of our yard. Expecting many more over the next couple of days. They look great on the salvia and iris!
Comment by Rene — May 20, 2007 [AT] 10:59 am
Mari, In 2004, we had set up 15 sites with different orientations such as south sunny, south shade, north shade, …. The cicadas emerged at the south sunny sites before the shady locations. Also, once the emergence started it continued for several days.
Comment by Gene Kritsky — May 20, 2007 [AT] 6:05 am
On a walk this evening we saw cicada nymphs emerging in Brookfield, IL south of the tracks and west of Prairie Ave. but when we crossed north of the tracks and east of Prairie into Kiwanis Park there were no nymphs emerging. Can the ground temperature be that different just blocks apart?
Comment by Mari — May 19, 2007 [AT] 9:54 pm
I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 17 years cidadas. The Magicicadas began emerging in my yard this morning in Flossmoor, IL. I am located about 25 miles south of Chicago. I live in an older area of Flossmoor and expect a large number to emerge. It’s pretty exciting!
Comment by Sue — May 19, 2007 [AT] 7:51 pm
I thought I was the only cicada nut around! I’ve been talking about these criters since I was pregnant with my first child, summer of 1974. Driving throught Elmhurst in a VW beetle with a manual-control sunroof was quite exciting…expecially down Poplar where there is a canopy of old huge trees over the street. Seventeen years later, I was walking near Elmhurt Hospital when the cicada emerged. Seems like they covered the grass as they marched in unison toward tree trunks. As I recall, each hole was only a few inches from one another. Eventually, every tree trunk in town was litterally covered with cicada. My daughter was a highschooler. Now she’s teaching biology and working toward her PHD. Hope I can plan having the grandkids over at the “special moment” when the cicada emerge again in Elmhurst.
Comment by Kathy — May 18, 2007 [AT] 10:07 pm
I am moving this weekend to the western suburbs of Chicago. I am expecting to see lots and lots of them. I have asked a neighbor of mine if I can borrow her cats for a few weeks. The kitties will have the time of their life with the lil guys. I have their songs playing on my computer all day. Driving my co-workers absolutely nuts.
Comment by Erin — May 17, 2007 [AT] 1:34 pm
We have found a few nymphs while gardening (Northbrook, IL) but have not seen any chimneys yet… they are supposed to arrive May 22. I am obsessed with cicadas!
Comment by Kristina — May 15, 2007 [AT] 11:55 am
snapping off chimneys may decrease their viability.
Comment by Dan — May 14, 2007 [AT] 1:17 pm
As i mow my lawn i have no way of avoiding the chimneys, i step on them and crack them all over the place. does this mean they will die before they emerge?
Comment by jb — May 14, 2007 [AT] 1:06 pm
I say not to snap them off because you don’t want to prematurely expose the nymphs. The tunnels protect from from weather and predators.
Comment by Dan — May 10, 2007 [AT] 2:59 pm
David — the posts from California and Sharon, PA were from last year.
Dan, why shouldn’t we crack off the top of the mud tunnels? I haven’t seen any to do it, but I’d like to know why we shouldn’t (so I can pass along to the kids I work with). Thanks!
Comment by Robin — May 10, 2007 [AT] 2:52 pm
The California cicadas are from an entirely different genus (probably Okanagana) that emerges each spring. They are not periodical, although they are dark-colored with orange like Magicicada. They should not have red eyes.
The Sharon, PA emergences are interesting because there is not supposed to be brood XIII there — if those really are periodical cicadas then they are perhaps very late Brood VIII cicadas?
Comment by David Marshall — May 10, 2007 [AT] 7:35 am
Don’t crack off the top!
Comment by Dan — May 9, 2007 [AT] 4:47 am
We have the empty holes. We have some holes that raccoons seem to have dug up. But I can’t find a cicada anywhere. I’m starting to think its aliens. Where have they gone?
Comment by Kath — May 8, 2007 [AT] 10:29 pm
We’re in Downers Grove, IL. Our entire yard is covered with these little mounds of dirt. If you crack the mound off, you’ll see the cicada sitting there staring up at you. And where there are not mounds, you can scrape the top half inch of dirt off and find tons of holes! We’ve got them EVERYWHERE!!!
Comment by MW — May 8, 2007 [AT] 7:15 pm
It’s actually beneficial to your lawn because they’re aerating it for you! People pay landscaping services $100s of dollars for aerating — the cicadas will do it for free!
Comment by Dan — May 4, 2007 [AT] 7:21 am
Does anyone know if these “chimneys” in my yard will affect my grass? I am 26 years old and don’t really remember the last cicada emergence. I’m in the midst of preparing my house to sell and I’m afraid that these cicadas will ruin my lawn before we sell.
Comment by jb — May 4, 2007 [AT] 6:53 am
After a month of searching, we finally dug up a Periodical Cicada nymph in our own garden in Oak Park, Illinois! We posted information and a photo on our blog: https://cicadablog.saltthesandbox.org/
Thanks to all the other folks who found cicada nymphs and burrows and inspired us to try again.
Eric
Comment by Eric Gyllenhaal — May 2, 2007 [AT] 9:01 pm
Thank you JB in Villa Park — I live in Homewood, south of the city and I was totally upset yesterday when I saw about 30 or more 1/2inch holes in my back yard — as you noted they are like aerations! Didn’t even cross my mind they could be cicadas. I’m still hoping so, as I’m reading about cicada wasps (eat the cicadas) leaving these type holes also.
What an interesting spring/summer we are going to have!
Comment by CJ — May 2, 2007 [AT] 8:33 am
I’m in Wilmette, IL. Was gardening yesterday (Monday) and lifted a path stone. Underneath were about 17 fat wiggling cicadas right under the surface of the stone. Lifted another stone, same story. Also found them in the compost pile. I have also noted some exit holes near the foundation of the house under the shrubbery on the north side.
Comment by Martha Hellander — May 1, 2007 [AT] 9:41 am
I’m in Villa Park, IL and noticed that my lawn had finally been aerated. Upon further inspection, they had not come to aerate yet, but my lawn was full of mounds of dirt and holes. I’ve learned that these cicadas are on their way up. My front yard is FULL of these things.
Comment by jb — April 30, 2007 [AT] 6:21 am
I’m in Chicago Western suburbs, and I was working the garden. There were 10 that I saw less than 1 inch below the surface and I was working in a 6 inch diameter circle. Lots of holes in the dirt as well. I was working in a southwest facing garden, and the sun was very warm today. These guys are raring to go, I think!! I brought me son out to see it and he thought it was totally cool.
I don’t know if I’m ready for them quite yet. I’m supposed to be camping in a few weeks, as well as kayaking. I may have to bring the dental floss!
Comment by HueyGirl — April 28, 2007 [AT] 10:25 am
Ok i just found a magicada! Full size as my daughter was playing with it! lol. I am in Delavan Wisconsin so they are defiently here!
Comment by Jennifer — April 25, 2007 [AT] 8:38 am
A cicada is the fruit of the land. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sautee it. There’s, um, Cicada kebabs, cicada creole, cicada gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. There’s pineapple cicada and lemon cicada, coconut cicada, pepper cicada, cicada soup, cicada stew, cicada salad, cicada and potatoes, cicada burger, cicada sandwich… That’s, that’s about it.
Comment by Jerry — April 24, 2007 [AT] 1:06 pm
Great news Rene!
Comment by Dan — April 24, 2007 [AT] 10:12 am
Today, while gardening in a friend’s yard in SE Elmhurst, I noticed several nickel-sized holes around me. I peeked into one and saw two red eyes staring back at me! This part of her garden is mostly barren, dry clay in a full-sun location. There were no chimneys, just exit holes. I found a dozen of these holes in a 5 x 5 area and the residents were all about 4-6 from the surface. In a spadefull of soil, I found many more active magicicadas near the surface and I carefully replanted them.
Comment by Rene‘ — April 23, 2007 [AT] 8:02 pm
Eric — looks that way to me. Looks like a nymph and a mud chimney.
Comment by Dan — April 10, 2007 [AT] 4:28 am
Hi, Dan,
Thanks for all your work spreading the word about cicadas!
My kids and I are trying to beat the late spring rush by finding the earliest periodical cicadas in the Chicago area. Could you help us out by (1) confirming that the live nymph we found last weekend was annual, not periodical, and (2) telling us if you think the burrows we found this weekend are early examples of perioidcal cicada burrows?
The photos are on this page:
http://www.saltthesandbox.org/cicada_hunt/PeriodicalHunt2007.htm
Thanks,
Eric
Comment by Eric Gyllenhaal — April 10, 2007 [AT] 3:37 am
Hi Im from St Charles, MO. I have a bunch of dead cicada’s on my front porch. I hear them day and night in our trees.
2007 Archive of Annual Cicada Sightings
Although this post compiles Annual cicada sightings from 2007, is some Magicicada Brood XIII talk in the July-May comments. Comments are in reverse order.
I also live in an area of Australia where cicadas are hatching in droves. We’ve pulled dozens of casings off of the house alone, and today — so far- nearly a dozen have hatched. I’m rescuing lots off of my truck tyres. We have a rare type here, called the Orange Drummer. I’ve posted some pics on Flickr:
Comment by Jodi C. — November 26, 2007 [AT] 9:09 pm
Hi, I live in cicada heaven, which is in the Blue Mountains,west of Sydent in NSW Australia. Cicadas are found of all types and species. Any day in summer you can hear a chorus of cicadas which have been measured at over 150 decibels. You can literally walk up to any tree and pick them up off the trunk! Birds just fly up and eat them in front of you, but there are still cicada nymphs emerging in bright daylight (normally this only happens at night!) I think it has something to do with the unseasonally wet and cold weather we have been experiencing this summer. But anyway, I have loads of pics if you want to contact me: kevin [AT] padrepio.org.au
Blessings!
Comment by Fr Kevin Lee — November 15, 2007 [AT] 11:10 pm
It’s October. It has reached 92 degrees today (Aurora, Illinois) and I heard many, many cicadas.
A few days ago I also heard one in Naperville, Illinois.
I was actually surprised. But, I would understand since it is awfully warm out.
Comment by Daniela Barrios — October 7, 2007 [AT] 4:52 pm
A photo of a Masked Devil cicada that flew into my living room last night (in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales):
http://www.facebook.com/ph​oto.php?pid=341705&l=b46a1​&id=715264364
A shell I found a week ago:
http://www.facebook.com/ph​oto.php?pid=326996&l=2efbd​&id=715264364
Cheers!
Comment by Andrew Sweeney — October 3, 2007 [AT] 10:25 pm
Dan posted some of my videos of a singing cicada in Sacramento, CA recently. I also took still pictures of the cicada while shooting the video. Here are the links to the still shots:
http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/misc/?action=view¤t=cicada6originalsizepic.jpg
http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/misc/?action=view¤t=cicada2rightside.jpg
http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/misc/?action=view¤t=cicada5originalsizepic.jpg
http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/misc/?action=view¤t=cicada1originalsizepic.jpg
All I know is that it is some species of Okanagana.
Comment by Phoebe — September 14, 2007 [AT] 2:31 pm
I am not in anyway an expert ha ha , when it comes to cicatas , but from the pictures I have looked up I beleave I have found a common every year cicata its still emerging frome his exoskeliton ,I found him lieing on the ground on a sidewalk I knew he had fallin off of his resting spot and I knew if i left him their hed get step on or torchered by a human or something els so I plased him om my balcony and im worried he isnt emerging like normal , he is half way out and just stoped , I guess what Im trying to find out is how long would it normaly take the tibian cicada to leave the exoskelito ? hours , days ? or is it suposed to take a wile ,,, he obviously isnt in mutch ah hurry to go …. some one please help me understand this prosses better id be most gratfull to learn
Comment by edith — August 31, 2007 [AT] 12:05 am
I live just outside Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and recently found a beetle that I’ve never seen in this area — someone suggested it might be a cicada. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to snap a picture, but haven’t seen any on your site that look like this. Do cicadas live in this area, and if so, would they feed from a Mountain Ash tree? My mountain ash trees seem to have some disease or pest they’ve never had before, and these bugs are also new.
Comment by Michelle — August 28, 2007 [AT] 1:46 pm
I live in Sacramento, CA. I have seen cicadas in trees several times in the past week, and I hear them all over the place. I took a few videos of them. You can see the best one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey5nMtPBjNs
I have several other videos, but YouTube’s search function hasn’t been working properly since July 25. When you search by “Date Added”, hardly any newer videos show up, including all my latest cicada sightings.
I also took a still picture of the cicada featured in my video link: http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/misc/?action=view¤t=cicadainSacramentoCA7-25-07.jpg
Comment by Phoebe — July 30, 2007 [AT] 3:21 pm
Heard a strange noise. looked on the front screen. Found an incredibly strange insect I had never seen before. Finally figured out it was a cicada. We are in Northeast PA, and I think these are the 17-year deals. Crazy.
Comment by Eric — July 25, 2007 [AT] 7:14 pm
Hi guys,
I’m in Albuquerque for a conference, and last night around 8:30 heard what sounded like cicadas in a tree…where I grew up (Delaware) cicadas only call on hot afternoons. Was I really hearing cicadas? Or some other critter?
Thanks…
Comment by Melissa — July 20, 2007 [AT] 5:51 am
Hi Lindsey,
Those sound rather neat. If you can get a picture, post on this website and that could help identification
Comment by david — July 14, 2007 [AT] 4:09 pm
We live in Krum, Texas (near the Dallas/Fort Worth area) and for the past two years I have noticed some very tiny cicadas which come up from under our shrubs to sit on the porch screens. They are a mottled grey camouflage color, and measure only about 3/4 inch! They can almost be mistaken for horseflies. They do “buzz” like other cicadas if startled off the porch screen, but I don’t know what their particular song is like. I would like to know what they are, if anyone can tell me.
Comment by Lindsey Williams — July 14, 2007 [AT] 9:40 am
Hello all,
It has become very warm here in New York. For some reason the Tibicens are taking a while to come up. Possibly the unusually cool days may have delayed the emergence. I heard a Tibicen chloromera finally sing this AM. Caught an emerging nymph the night before, but none last night. The teneral adult is living amongst oak branches I have provided it and I am waiting for it to mature. Interested in seeing how long one could be kept in captivity (my record was 12 days for a periodical species) and if they would sing as well. (Had a septendecim that sang, the cassini did not). No T.lyricen heard as of yet. If anyone knows of any other species that inhabit the NY area let me know (Queens County and Long Island)
Comment by Elias — July 10, 2007 [AT] 7:49 am
Hello Dan,
Just recently purchased 25 cicadas rom Illinois. Unfortunatley due to the intervening Holiday (7/4), all dies except one. She is a septendecim female and still lives to today! I never knew periodicals could be found in July!! Here in Nassau county yesterday I heard a Tibicen Canicularis dsing at dusk and this morning in QUeens a Tibicen chlomera sang as well. Found an emerging nymph yesterday and placed him with the Magicada. Never thought I would see these two species side by side!!! Its been a great year for cicadas. Now its time for the Tibicens to take over.
Comment by Elias — July 9, 2007 [AT] 8:38 am
Amanda: if it’s a Tibicen cicada, then it’s perfectly normal. Tibicens emerge every year.
Comment by Dan Mozgai — July 3, 2007 [AT] 7:00 am
Apparantly one cicada is confused. We aren’t supposed to have a brood here within a couple of states this year, yet we found one hanging out with the June Bugs tonight. We are just outside Memphis, TN in North Mississippi. Not sure what’s up with that? TN is supposed to have a brood next year, maybe he came up a little early?
Comment by Amanda — July 2, 2007 [AT] 8:47 pm
Here in south Oak Park, Illinois, we just heard our first Annual Cicada, a Tibicen pruinosa singing about 45 minutes before sunset. Last year we heard our first T. pruinosa on June 27, although for several years before that we did not heard them until early July. We have been feeling seriously deprived of Periodical Cicadas in our neighborhood. We have to drive a few miles west, to the Des Plaines River floodplain, to see them in large numbers. At least we seem to be a bit ahead of the game with the Annual Cicadas!
Eric, Ethan, and Aaron Gyllenhaal
Kid’s Cicada Hunt
Comment by Eric Gyllenhaal — June 26, 2007 [AT] 6:12 pm
have there been cicada sightings in elkhorn Wisconsin? i’ll be there for a week and want to know how to prepare.
Comment by Peri — June 16, 2007 [AT] 7:37 pm
Interesting, I haven’t seen or heard(thank God) the little critters, but my man was driving to Tinley Park and while in traffic had the radio up quite a bit. He heards this high pitched sound, turned the radio off rolled the woindow down and he said it was like an invasion of millions of crickets. I laughed because 2 weeks before that I told him :The Cicadas are coming…” lol
Comment by Laurie and Mike — June 15, 2007 [AT] 10:44 pm
There’s plenty of cicadas in California, but they’re annual cicadas — they type that emerge every year in small numbers.
Comment by Dan — June 13, 2007 [AT] 4:46 pm
I don’t know what to make of it… this week, here in Santa Barbara, CA, I’ve heard that lovely, shrill singing of the cicadas. Not many of them & haven’t seen any, but I can hear them up in some trees. I travelled extensively through the South and lower Great Lakes in the summer of 2004, so I’m more than familiar with that distinctive sound. I wasn’t aware they lived in southern California, especially right on the coast like this… never have heard them before. Fluke of global warming or something? 🙂
Comment by C. Campbell — June 13, 2007 [AT] 4:42 pm
Over Memorial Day weekend we were at Railroad Park Campground, near Castle Crags, just south of Dunsmuir, California. We saw dozens of cicadas molting out of their nymph stage. They were mostly on the site marker posts for the campsites, but were also found on camp chairs, picnic tables and bicycle tires! I got a ton of photos of the emergence of the adults and the expansion and drying of the wings. I would gladly forward photos to someone who could identify the variety.
Comment by Rusty McMillan — June 11, 2007 [AT] 5:35 pm
P.S. SORRY, I LIVE IN CRYSTAL LAKE ILLINOIS.
LAURIE STEWART AGAIN!
Comment by LAURIE L. STEWART — June 11, 2007 [AT] 12:52 pm
HELP!!! I’M JUST TRYING TO FIND A MAP SHOWING WHERE THE CICADAS ARE. I WANT SO TO SEE THE MIRACLE OF THEM IN PROGRESS. I MAY NOT BE HERE IN 17 MORE YEARS. I FIND IT QUITE A SPIRITUAL EVENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH,
LAURIE STEWART
Comment by LAURIE L. STEWART — June 11, 2007 [AT] 12:51 pm
Timberon, NM — After a brief email conversation with someone from this site, and sending him a photo of one of our local cicadas, it has been determined that the cicadas in the mountains of South Centeral New Mexico are Platapedia. Perhaps the ones in Santa Fe are of the same Genus.
Comment by Scott M. — June 10, 2007 [AT] 5:26 pm
I live in the suburbs around chicago and there were so many cicadas on one of my plants that it became smothered… I CAN’T WAIT FOR THESE GROSS BUGS TO GO BYE-BYE!!!!
Comment by Plant Luver — June 3, 2007 [AT] 11:44 am
I live just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico and about a week and a half ago i was taking a walk in the woods and i noticed holes about an inch in diameter all over the place. I then noticed that they were housing some sort of beetle, but i didn’t know what kind. Well about three days ago i went outside and heard the forest alive with that unmistakable cicada song. The trees were crawling with them. I’ve never seen them this far west before and am wondering what kind they are?
Comment by Antonio mora — June 3, 2007 [AT] 11:16 am
I found thousands of cicadas up and down Chickaloon Drive in McHenry, Illinois. Some are up in the trees, under the trees leaves, and more are hatching as I write!! IT was fantastic and the niose was deafening!
Comment by Kathryn — May 30, 2007 [AT] 5:46 pm
I was camping in the Catskill Mountains of NY State (specifcally at Mongaup Pond in Livingston Manor)this Memorial Day weekend and cicada exoskeletons were all around. I heard they were Chicago area and was surprised to find them. We also had balck flies!!
Comment by Sonya — May 29, 2007 [AT] 8:24 am
My name is Kailey. I am 10 years old and live in Indiana. I just went outside in my backyard and counted 244 cicada moltings. And some live ones too.
Comment by Kailey — May 24, 2007 [AT] 8:49 am
Lake Forest, IL….First Cicada sighting Brood XIII at garden-goddess.blogspot.com
Comment by Carole Brewer — May 14, 2007 [AT] 7:18 am
We have an outdoor wedding planned in Lemont on June 16th. If the cicada’s emerge on May 22nd, what are we in for as far as “uninvited guests” to our wedding.
Comment by tryingtokeepasenseof humor — May 6, 2007 [AT] 10:53 am
Hello everyone. Long time, no see… Just wanted to share sometime indirectly cicada related that you may find of interest. I’m sure if anyone is a gamer, then you’re familiar with one of the most popular games currently on sale. Check out the “GEARS OF WAR” for the Xbox 360. You’ll learn of the big “Emergence Day” event within the game’s storyline. The enemy you’ll be fighting are called “Locusts” that actually come from the bowels of the earth! However, you’ll soon discover that these “Locusts” are not the little critters we know and love. Check it out. You may find if amusing like I did. Plus it is also a really fun game!!!
Check out http://www.gearsofwar.com
Comment by Les Daniels — January 5, 2007 [AT] 3:00 pm