Last Saturday I (Dan) drove out to western Ohio with the goal of meeting up with fellow cicada maniac Roy Troutman and his family, and observing the 2008 Brood XIV emergence.
So far in 2008, Roy and I:
- Observed massive emergences in Loveland, Blue Ash, Mariemont and Indian Hill.
- Collected nymphs for a scientific experiment (not sure I can divulge the details).
- Met and had breakfast with cicada expert Gene Kritsky in Mariemont, which was inundated with cicadas.
- Met Samuel Orr, who is best know for his film Return of the 17-Year Cicadas.
- Collected adult Magicicada septendecula for a breeding experiment to be conducted by John Cooley…
- Spent part of the day with John, even stopping by the Circle K for some road food.
Roy has collected 2 white eyed cicadas so far, and I’ve handed out a bunch of Cicada Mania buttons. If you see me and ask for one, and I have some with me, it’s yours.
Today I’m leaving Ohio, and headed across Pennsylvania. I plan on stopping around Middletown, Cornwall and Morgantown, where cicadas have been sighted. Then it’s back to homebase in New Jersey were I’ll try to verify the 1906 records of 17 year cicadas in Red Bank, and well as continue to post updates.
8 replies on “Cicada Mania 2008, so far”
Is there a bird that they are particularly scared of? I was thinking of downloading a sound file for that bird in an attempt to scare them off – or at least shut them up – especially while I am trying to record content in my spare bedroom!
Cheers
Tony
Sydney
When will these stupid things be gone? YUCK–we can’t stand them!!
I’m in Blair County, PA. on top of a mountain. I remember both the 1991 and 1974 Brood XIV emergence on our property. I was born in Camden,N.J. and lived in Woodbury until 1958. I looked at your map and wondered if you have any reports from Woodbury in Gloucester County. As a writer I intend to cover this event in my PA GAME NEWS nature column, and wonder if I would have heard them in my Mom’s womb in 1940 and had overlooked them in 1957 (we lived in an oak woods in Woodbury then).
This year, for the first time, I noticed in April the remains of the turrets they make in the soil when it’s wet. Didn’t see that back in 1991 or 1974, but then our emergence, according to my journal, is about two weeks later this time and it was a cold spring here. Anyway, has anyone commented on what creature would know enough to dig them up and eat the larvae, leaving the turrets on our trails. They looked like little clay pots. See my son Dave’s www. vianegative.us/ website, which has a photo of the turrets. We suspect either chipmunks or squirrels because we found an acorn in one of them. On the other hand, we had several hungry bears out at that time too.
Excellent website! I especially like the t-shirts. I’m in Montgomery, which is rather near Blue Ash, and have been observing a fairly large observance. Went out during the night last night and shone a light on some deciduous trees, which showed teneral adults absolutely covering the bark. Amazing. The adults are now beginning to die, though not in large numbers yet, and already the smell of cadaverine is in the air.
hello, its sheri again and i was looking on line and i realize that the cicadas i heard today are the stragglers from last years brood 13 emergence in Illinois and some other states. We had our turn last year of having millions of them and now this year hundreds of them have emerged one year late called the stragglers. The amount i heard today leads me to believe that the stragglers can be in the hundreds because it sounded like a bunch of them in every direction. Since there numbers are not as big as last year they will sadly be eaten quicker leading me to believe that we wont hear them in a few weeks or so. I should of got on my bike to see if i could hear them in other places. But i will keep my eyes open and if i spot any i will be happy to take a picture if i ever see one. So basically it looks like we have a flock of stragglers at least in the Westmont, Illinois area. I couldnt believe i was hearing them again this year.
Hey remember me Sheri from Westmont, Il. Last year we had so many cicadas we were almost tripping over them and i always wondered if a tiny batch would emerge this year that no one would notice. But to my shock i walked over to the patio door and i could hear a flock of cicadas or at least i know that whatver i was hearing sounded just like the 17 year cicadas from last year. I walked around in the back yeard and cant here any on my property. I could hear them coming from the left and then i walked into the front yard and i could hear them across the street but dont know where they are. They stop and go where one minute you hear them and one minute they stop and i can tell their are several of them. People who were not into them probably dont notice but people like me who took alot of pictures and videos of them last year can cleary tell that sound. Last year they were normally loud at this time. I really thhink its a batch from last year who are a year late. I will keep my eyes open the next week or so and i would be happy if i was able to get a picture of one and send it to the channel 5 news. I am not use to them and so i will jump if i see one but i should have my camera ready. Could this really be a late flock and i hear several of them. Last year i was tripping over them almost but this year i dont know if i culd get a picture of one because the batch i hear sounds like i would have to go look for them. Sheri from Westmont, Illinois near Chicago
If it’s cicada’s that you want, then please come to Symmes Township on Mason Way Court and get them! You can have them all!!!! These are the grossest and most disgusting bugs! I am so sick of them and cannot wait until they are gone. They are all over my door, and the wall. I carry a broom with me so that when I come out of my house I can knock them off the wall and doorjamb. Then I put it in my car so that when I get home I can do the same. Please, come and get as many as you need to study, eat, mate, or to do with whatever you want or need to do!
I am in Morgantown, PA and we have a lot at my home based on a very layman’s perspective and the sound level.. Shoot me an email and perhaps we can connect. Carolyn