Cicadas

They’re in the trees. They’re flying through the air. If you haven’t seen them, you’ve definitely heard them. And if you search the trees and fences near your house, you’ve probably seen their dry husks:

Cicadas!

Cicadas didn’t use to bother me, but this season has been awful. There’s a small tree directly outside my window with 10-20 cicadas in it every day. They’re extremely loud in the mornings, and they are easily startled. When I go outside and get my bike, which is near the cicada tree, they all take off and fly around, screeching and bumping into things. Yuck. 

I learned a few interesting things about cicadas recently:

-Only male cicadas make noise. They are the loudest insects in the world.

-Different kinds of cicadas make different sounds. In fact, one kind makes a sound so high-pitched that humans can’t hear it.

-They have the ability to “turn off” their ears, so they don’t hear their own song!

-They have a long proboscis, similar to a mosquito. They use it to suck the sap out of trees.

I can’t wait for cicada season to be over…