Washington braces for frenzy of mating and death (NOT about the Kennedys)

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | May 13, 2004 | Alec Russell

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As if George Bush did not have enough on his plate, Brood X has started to take over his capital.

With a mixture of fear and fascination, Washingtonians prepared for an infestation of biblical proportions as the first of a swarm of billions of cicadas emerged after 17 years underground.

Red-eyed, black skinned and up to five centimetres long, the first cicadas this week wriggled out of holes in the ground where they have been waiting since the height of Ronald Reagan's presidency.

Within days, large parts of the city and areas across the eastern United States will be blanketed in cicadas. Scientists predict that for the next six weeks the noise will be staggering as billions of males rub their legs with the vigour of 17 years' anticipation in search of the perfect mate.

Schoolchildren have been given instructions on how to cope and told not to panic. Weddings, soccer matches and many public events will be rescheduled or moved indoors.

In the middle of next month the females will lay eggs in trees. The adults will all die. Their offspring will drop down to the ground and burrow under the soil, for their own 17-year vigil.

"It's the grandest natural phenomenon of the century," said Gary Hevel, an entomologist at the Smithsonian Institution. "This is the largest brood of periodical cicadas. It is the big one, a matter of billions and trillions.

"People tend to be annoyed and fearful about the lack of knowledge. We are trying to get the word out that they are not dangerous. They crawl out of the ground, they mate, they lay eggs and then they die."

There are many species of periodical cicadas, but Brood X - or Brood Ten - is by far the largest and most numerous, and its visitations are rites of passage for veteran Washingtonians. The trigger for their emergence is when the earth temperature reaches 18 degrees, which happened some time on Monday.

"Brood X is likely to be the largest insect emergence on Earth," said Keith Clay, a cicada expert at Indiana University at Bloomington.

He says cicadas can reach densities of up to 3000 kilograms a hectare. Cicadas are notable not only for their vast numbers, but also the noise they make.

On Tuesday, residents roamed the leafier parts of Washington spotting the husks of the early risers who had already taken to the trees fully formed with amber wings after shedding their skins, and the corpses of those that had failed their one and only test.

"I was in school and the noise was incredible," recalled Barbara Beelar, 62, who was born and raised in Washington. "You couldn't sleep at night. Everyone was sleep-deprived. It's a wonderful example of nature grabbing your attention.

"They crawl out. Their great hope is to meet someone from the other sex and then they die. If you look at those things you can see where a whole genre of horror stories came from."

When colonists first witnessed the phenomenon they thought it was a sign from God, akin to the 10 plagues in Egypt. But in recent decades reactions have been more relaxed and the cicadas more welcome.

Jacques Tiziou, a French-American, was in his kitchen, freezing his first cicadas. He said: "They are pure protein. No fat. There are plenty of countries where the only food is some form of insect."

The Telegraph, London; Reuters

[Izzy Dunne]

out of holes in the ground where they have been waiting since the height of Ronald Reagan's presidency.

I knew it was a Republican's fault!

[kevkrom]

All these trillions of insects will have to eat something. What do they eat?

as far as anyone can tell -- nothing while above ground. They've spent the last just-under 17 years burrowing in the ground, eating who knows what under there. Above ground, though, they just are looking for a one-night stand, after which they drop dead.

We've been advised to protect young (leaf-bearing) trees, because the cicadas cut small slits in the branches and lay their eggs inside; this can harm or kill the young trees. However, they will leave flowers, vegetable plants, herbs, etc., alone.

[Nonstatist]

What is a few billion more?

Ummm. Its a lot more "plague-like" than youre envisioning at the moment. Theyre everwhere, like media bias.

[Nonstatist]

However, they will leave flowers, vegetable plants, herbs, etc., alone.

Also, they like maples and deciduous trees, but have nothing to do with evergreens. If youve got a lot of maples (like us), you're in for a treat. Real fun.

[kevkrom]

For a local view of the coming cicada menace, see Here cicada, there cicada, everywhere cicada cicada by Kevin Cowerd at the Baltimore Sun.

[kevkrom]

I'm just worried about the cherry blossom we planted last year. We've put some netting on it, but I'm not sure it will be enough.

[DeFault User]

Cicada Cuisine

Hmmm, I recall the bluejays eating them with great gusto and no preparation time. The darn things are loud and their volume really goes up in a sort of 'death scream' when caught by a jaybird.

[kenth]

We get them every year in the South too, but not like this. I think this is going to be a doozy.

We live amongst the forests of N. Georgia. Here's what we woke up to yesterday. The day before was normal, now we have a constant whiny buzzing in the background.

Cicadas in the background

[egarvue]

Last time this particular brood came out, it was 1987. There were so many covering my town (Lousiville KY) that the streets were covered in squished-cicada paste. An enterprising t-shirt maker sold thousands of t-shirts with a design of a cicada emerging Rambo-like from some bushes (complete with AK-47 and red headband). You're right, this is nothing like the ordinary cicada crop.

[kevkrom]

Cicada Cuisine

Cicadas -- the other white meat.

[Saturnalia]

We're getting these guys up in Cincinnati, where they predict about 5,000,000,000 of the guys in one county alone.
WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

[HEY4QDEMS]

What do they eat?

Actually periodical cicadas only eat in their Nymph stage. While underground they suck nutrients from the roots of perenial shrubs and trees. Once the emerge as adults, their only goal is to mate and die.

[Polybius]

Low-Fat, High-Protein Cicadas: New Health Snack?

CICADA-LICIOUS: Cooking and Enjoying Periodical Cicadas

[William Terrell]

Above ground, though, they just are looking for a one-night stand, after which they drop dead.

Playboy should do a interview. . .

[Izzy Dunne]

cicadas can reach densities of up to 3000 kilograms a hectare.

3000 kG = 6600 pounds = 105600 ounces

1 hectare = 10 000 square meters

That's 10 OUNCES OF BUGS in one SQUARE YARD!

Don't know how many bugs per ounce, but that seems like a lot of bugs.

[kevkrom]

Playboy should do a interview. . .

It does sound like the perfect singles-bar scenario, doesn't it?

[Badeye]

Washington?

Come to the Greater Cincinnati Tri State area in the next five days. Between 6 and 10 BILLION cicada's from Brood X will be emerging.

Last time around, while I was in high school here, every step resulted in a "crunching sound" for weeks. The noise is comparable to a Boeing 747 taking off. Outdoor dining?

Get a grip!.....LOL!

Washington's "problem" with cicada's is dwarfed by whats about to happen with them here.

[Izzy Dunne]

they have been waiting since the height of Ronald Reagan's presidency.

Hmmmm.
2004 - Bush = REPUBLICAN.
1987 - Reagan = REPUBLICAN.
1970 - Nixon = REPUBLICAN.
1953 - Eisenhower = REPUBLICAN.
I think there's a trend here...

[cajungirl]

We were in Baltimore in 1970 and 87 for this invasion and are going back to see it next week. It is indeed a happening. You measure your life by it. The first time we didn't even know our youngest child, the second time she was afraid of them, now she is 28 and is all interested. It is so interesting to think that for the next invasion, I may just be under there with the little buggers. It gives you a sense of how quickly your life passes and is a milestone. I love it. but they are damned loud.

[Badeye]

You get a far different variety, in the late summer. This isn't remotely close to that.

Thankfully, its only once every 17 years. Every 220 or so, Brood X and another "Brood" emerge at the same time...with a result approaching 20 Billion released here in Cincy.