I agree there's more media hype than ever before, but I attribute that to a
lack of big news post-Trump and a proliferation of softer news outlets and
production in the last 17 years. But I'll give the hype credit -- it's been
quite accurate, so far as I can tell. These guys are no calamity, in fact no
harm or danger to speak of at all -- just noisy and weird-looking, and exciting
for Mark's chickens and other local animals. I doubt they'll consume many (or
any) trees, but we just opted to play it safe and semi-cover a few trees we
really value, like some young white oaks and our American chestnuts. Just in
case.
I also agree with Milford about 2004. I barely noticed these critters when they
came out then. I do remember quite a racket in 1987, and picking exoskeletons
off the walls of our shed. I'll be very curious to see how big the cicada crowd
is this year, and to hear how noisy. Will the fact that there are fewer trees
in the community affect their numbers? Are climate change, development or any
other human-caused changes in nature having an impact on them? We'll see.
And I definitely will try eating a few. Sorry, Diane. I'm curious about that,
too. And I'm a fan of insect cuisine -- within reason.
----- Original Message -----
From: "lrsapin" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: north-takoma@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2021 5:52:34 PM
Subject: [north-takoma] Re: And so it begins
And remember waiting for the end of the world in 1999?
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
On Monday, May 10, 2021, 1:11 PM, Milford Sprecher <milford.sprecher@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Will this be any worse than 2004? I suspect not. I lived here then and don't
even remember it.
I do remember 1970, when I lived in a more rural area and the noise emanating
from the woods was remarkable. Maybe someone has a better memory about 2004,
but I wonder how much of this is overblown? I remember that gypsy moths were
going to decimate the world and that didn't happen.
Milford, waiting to see on Albany
On Mon, May 10, 2021 at 1:03 PM Mike's Email < mjohnsen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > wrote:
<blockquote>
I’d recommend the 5 Myths of Cicadas in yesterday’s Outlook Section of the
WaPo. The photos here could be of old sheddings: Cicadas actually move
vertically down the soil column as time goes by- first feeding on grass and
non-woody roots and moving down to tree roots later- all part of the eco system
of the area and they are unlikely to kill or harm trees. Of course these could
be a few early to the party as well as they dig back to the surface!!
You won’t be able to miss them- the noise alone is unmistakable but they are
also lousy fliers and will bump into you and everything else.
Sent from my iPhone
<blockquote>
On May 10, 2021, at 12:43 PM, rengelman@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
<blockquote>
Just now, next to our house under a flagstone . . .
<IMG_20210510_122647913.jpg>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
--
Milford H. Sprecher
525 Albany Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
301-830-2198
<blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
