locusts year? - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

05/28/2008 02:33:22 PM · #1

Is this one of those 17th year of the locusts year. A week ago I noticed hundreds of holes in a mud patch beside my neighbors house. Now there are hundreds of shells along my brick house, not to mention the trees. They are just starting to make the noise today. Does anybody know if this is one of those years where it gets unbearable for a couple of weeks?

I was in high school last time it happened. That was right around 17 years ago.

I never wanted a macro lens so bad in my life!!!!!

Telehubbie

Canon EOS-40D

05/28/2008 02:53:00 PM · #2

Here's a good resource I found on the Brood XIV Cicada invasion of 2008 with lots of photos and sightings. Looking at the map, it looks like Kentucky is in for it! Good luck!

05/28/2008 02:53:12 PM · #3

17 year cicadas?

Omg, what a racket! I'd never had experience with hearing more than the odd one here and there until we went to the mountains in Australia. They were fairly loud in the Blue Mtns, but in the Grampians they were insane! I made a phonecall home and my daughter asked what that noise in the background was, it was that loud. She actually had to yell for me to hear her over them.

If they hadn't quieted down at night I fear it would have driven me totally insane by the end of 2 days there.
Lol, wear earplugs and take lotsa pics?

Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon

05/28/2008 03:35:33 PM · #4

I just borrowed some of my brother in law's vivitar 52mm close up filters. I put all three on my 50mm and took 100 pictures. I am so glad they are cooperative.

CassieDoodle

Nikon D200

05/28/2008 03:37:15 PM · #5

Cicadas are supposed to be here any day now, yuck!

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

05/28/2008 03:51:49 PM · #6

There was a front page article in a local newspaper (The Asheville-Citizen Times) that was telling about it. yes, apparently here in Western NC the "hills are alive."

Tamron 16-300mm Di II VC PZD MACRO w/Canon Nikon mount

05/29/2008 11:24:36 AM · #7

Here are just a few of the thousands in my backyard.

JulietNN

Canon EOS R7

05/29/2008 11:39:43 AM · #8

wow those are some ugly looking buggers, you can keep the your way please!

MaryO

Nikon Z8

Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8

05/29/2008 11:44:50 AM · #9

They're loud, dumb, and exceedingly docile bugs. My first experience was with Brood X, which conveniently showed up the summer after my son was born. I have never seen so many bugs in my life!! I vividly remember being at a picnic and having to periodically remove 3 or 4 of them from my wee infant's clothing. He wasn't old enough to notice. My girls were 3 and 5 and would decorate themselves with "necklaces" and "bracelets" of live cicadas. I'd make them remove them all before getting in the car.

17 years later when they reappeared I went to a wine festival with my oldest daughter and her roommate. Daughter wasn't intentionally wearing cicadas this go-round but wasn't alarmed by them, either. Roomie was, rather amusingly. Drinking did not make her any calmer around the bugs, just released her screaming, flapping and running-around-in-circles inhibitions, to the great amusement of our fellow festivalgoers. Mind you, she wasn't upset enough to want to leave, not with all that wine available ;-)

I think cicadas are ugly-cute, and they do stay put pretty cooperatively for pictures. Might as well have fun with them!

JulietNN

Canon EOS R7

Tamron 16-300mm Di II VC PZD MACRO w/Canon Nikon mount

05/29/2008 11:58:52 AM · #10

Originally posted by MaryO:

I think cicadas are ugly-cute,

urrrrkk they look like flying cockroaches that we have here that I chase with a shoe, they look pretty cute when they are squashed under the shoe too

Message edited by author 2008-05-29 11:59:02.

Tamron 16-300mm Di II VC PZD MACRO w/Canon Nikon mount

05/29/2008 12:12:56 PM · #11

Originally posted by JulietNN:

Originally posted by MaryO:

I think cicadas are ugly-cute,

urrrrkk they look like flying cockroaches that we have here that I chase with a shoe, they look pretty cute when they are squashed under the shoe too

LOL. the only cute part is how docile they are. I told myself I'd shoot them until one flew up at me and I got almost 100 before one did.

Of course I haven't been back out there since.

Here you get an idea of how many there are... these are the casings and they surround my big tree 3 inches deep. They are everywhere and getting noisier by the day.

My husband said his grandmother used to put these in her brownies.

ew

JulietNN

Canon EOS R7

05/29/2008 12:15:19 PM · #12

Now that is just wrong on so many levels. That looks like there are millions of them, grooooooooooossssssssssssaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggeeeeee (can ya tell I am not a bug person)

As for his Grandmother, that is just wrong on even more levels than can be labled

sabphoto

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

05/29/2008 12:25:04 PM · #13

growing up my mom (and grandmother) always said that a group of them won't make that noise for more than 5 minutes at a time...when I was in Okinawa I would try and time them and more times than not they would stop right at 5 minutes.

They are loud and annoying...and hurt when they hit you on a bicycle lol...but I would rather have them then the nasty "love bugs" of florida or June bugs in Missouri.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8

05/29/2008 12:34:24 PM · #14

Originally posted by JulietNN:

Yeah, I'm not either. I really don't think putting locust shells in brownies was in the recipe books. I think she must have been a little off her rocker...

Or maybe it was less for taste and more for texture... like toffee... or peanuts. mmmmm

MaryO

Nikon Z8

05/29/2008 01:12:55 PM · #15

Someone need a recipe? ::innocent blink::

05/29/2008 01:25:24 PM · #16

ewwwwww... i just googled and it seems cicada recipes are more common than I thought. ewwwwww

05/30/2008 02:11:29 PM · #17

Definitely done with the locusts!!

Yesterday, I went out to shoot some for about 10 minutes 'till I got bored. When I got in I was a little itchy. I had Smed check my back and there was a piece of grass... but I still felt itchy. I just chalked it up to being around creepy bugs creeping me out. Almost half an hour later I went to scratch my belly and came up with a big ass locust. Mind you, I take pictures of them, but I have NEVER touched one. I may have grudgingly touched an empty shell once, but never a live one.

Needless to say the whole neighborhood heard me.

05/30/2008 02:17:15 PM · #18

Originally posted by cynthiann:

Mind you, I take pictures of them, but I have NEVER touched one. I may have grudgingly touched an empty shell once, but never a live one.

Needless to say the whole neighborhood heard me.

Why not? It's not like they're slimy or dirty...

05/30/2008 02:41:56 PM · #19

I know!! It's actually less of a gross out thing and more of an anxiety thing if that makes any sense. I'm more afraid of them flying at me and giving me a heart attack than I am of them in general... and that's what they seem to be doing. I can't walk outside without a few of them running into me and getting into my hair. Going up my shirt crossed a line. :)

Other than that, when they calm down, they are really quite beautiful.

Are they in your area? I've looked up reports, but haven't found anything in my area as bad as it is in my backyard, which is backed up to a farm. It's just now getting loud enough to have to raise your voice to be heard.

05/30/2008 03:04:13 PM · #20

We don't get those here at all. Our weather probably doesn't get hot enough to make them happy :) In the summer you can hear the odd cicada, but no "plagues", thank goodness! I just can't abide the NOISE.

Nah, all our interesting "bugs" are at the Bug Zoo, dammit :)

I know what you mean about the flying at ya thing. I detest craneflies for that reason... blech!

05/30/2008 04:11:03 PM · #21

Sheila, if you can hold those monsters, I can pick up a cicada. I'll do it today...

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...