Cicadas R Gone

(A quick catch-up)

What was more amazing about the cicadas than their appearance was how fast they disappeared. A few news stories about the mess their dead bodies were leaving behind, and then—gone. Guess those birds and other bug-eating critters did a very efficient job, not to mention the fact that dead insects dry out pretty quickly. Many of 'em probably just disintegrated.

Interestingly, the biggest nuisance I found with the cicadas was in a downtown area: along Dixie Highway in Homewood. Seems they had a nice avenue of trees planted some time ago, and the traffic noise along that street keeps the birds away. That made a haven for the bugs, which swarmed around all day, getting into hair, flying into stores, and just bumping into things in general. You just had to remember that adult cicadas have no jaws to bite you with, and just be glad that hornets don't operate this way.

Still waiting to see the damaged twigs and gooey masses they say we'll have as the cicada nymphs drop to the ground.

Cicada Time!

As of this week, the li'l bugs are swarming. This is some video (actually audio) taken during lunchtime from work.

At home, we don't have as many, but we have lots more fat, happy birds. In nearby Homewood, where Dixie Highway has several trees planted along its downtown stretch, the constant traffic apparently keeps the birds, so the bugs are swarming like sparks at a campfire. In our area, we have a lot more seagulls, attracted by wide expanses of empty parking lots with plenty of garbage to eat, and they compete with local birds for the cicadas.