For the 2012 doom and gloomers - now a plague of locusts in the US!?!

U.S. states braced for invasion of cicadas as they hatch after 13 years underground

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...

Their haunting chirrup strikes fear into the heart of every gardener. For thirteen years this cicada hoard has lain dormant in its underground lair, awaiting the right time to strike. And it appears that that time has come. Even at this very moment, billions of the winged insect are crawling from their exoskeleton cages, ready to suck the sap out of every plant, tree and bush that gets in their way. Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...

Ok not locust but cicada. Is this another sign? Part of a prophecy?

reply to post by spacedonk


Yuck.

reply to post by spacedonk


These things have been going strong here in central Mississippi for about 2 weeks now. Just before the rash of tornadoes came through they started their chanting, and day and night they have been going ever since. I've had two land on my shoulder and just sit there or crawl around for a few minutes before flying off again. They have red eyes and epic stamina. Do they sleep...at all?

'When I drove from my house to the grocery store, I ran over thousands of them. They're everywhere. The air is just thick with them.'

And they get in hair, cars, picnics and houses.

So hell is coming in 2011.

...My own personal hell, anyway.

I'm from TN and the cicadas are not that bad. Sure they're noisy, but with a few simple precautions, they do not damage plant life that much. Here the old folks call them Jar Flies. I really wish the media would stop calling them locusts. They're not anything like their plant eating, apocalypse heralding cousins. It's scaring people and giving the bug a bad rap. That's all we need around here, more people poisoning the ground to get rid of these relatively harmless insects.

It's actually kind of fascinating to see one shed its first molt. I guess it's a slow news day for the UK to be reporting on it. After all, it isn't like there are not other important things happening, like the new revelations from Fukishima or anything.

Originally posted by Gumerk
reply to post by spacedonk

 

These things have been going strong here in central Mississippi for about 2 weeks now. Just before the rash of tornadoes came through they started their chanting, and day and night they have been going ever since. I've had two land on my shoulder and just sit there or crawl around for a few minutes before flying off again. They have red eyes and epic stamina. Do they sleep...at all?

edit on 12-5-2011 by Gumerk because: (no reason given)

Are there really millions though? Like millions and millions? I couldn't imagine it. The report also says these ones only come once every 13 to 17 years and are different to the annual ones.

To the poster above re: fukushima. Yeah UK not worried by that anymore, its all buried deeeeeeeeeeeeeep

No problem, I'll call Marcus Pheonix, Dom Santiago, Cole Train, and Baird ofcourse.

bye bye locust

Please, Please, Please, I hope they love to eat stink bugs. At lease they are a temporary annoyance and will go back to where they came from. In Northern Virgina we a under attack by stink bugs. No natural predators. They are getting out of control.

reply to post by spacedonk


Actually this is quite normal. The cicada will hibernate and live off the roots of trees in the area and wait until the trees are in an "optimal sapping stage". They're able to tell when the trees are in optimal conditions and only then will they un-earth themselves for another run at it.

So if you don't consider yourself one of the "doom and gloomers", would you consider yourself a fear monger?

Originally posted by TheyWontBelieveU
reply to post by spacedonk

 

Actually this is quite normal. The cicada will hibernate and live off the roots of trees in the area and wait until the trees are in an "optimal sapping stage". They're able to tell when the trees are in optimal conditions and only then will they un-earth themselves for another run at it.

So if you don't consider yourself one of the "doom and gloomers", would you consider yourself a fear monger?

Lol, I thought it was an amusing story in the context of the prophecies of doom around here. Was all meant tongue in cheek, hope it hasn't actually caused fear in anyone! As I found out more I was fascinated by the sheer numbers of cicadas reported and the 13 year hibernation: it must be an epic 30 day invasion.

reply to post by spacedonk


The birds seem to like them a lot. Just consider them as bird food. A bird eats some, then sings it's song and flies away. Lots of song birds here this year.

reply to post by spacedonk

Are there really millions though? Like millions and millions? I couldn't imagine it.

Well last night I stopped at a gas station on the Pittsboro-Moncure road and the blasted things were all over. And yes one did get in my hair. The huge red eyes are what get you.

See Photo: www.ag.auburn.edu...

but the transparent wings are really pretty.

Periodical Cicada, Magicicada spp.
Host: Both nymphs and adults feed on a wide variety of deciduous forest, shade, and fruit trees. Trees that show the most conspicuous symptoms of oviposition injury are oak, hickory, ash, maple, hawthorn, apple, black locust, birch, and dogwood. Symptoms: Periodical cicadas usually do not cause a great deal of damage.

The nymphs suck sap from small tree roots which could kill some of the roots but is probably not economically important. The adults suck sap from trees, but cause very little damage. The adult females cut slits in small twigs of trees in which to lay their eggs. This may kill the twig, but on large trees this causes no more damage than moderate pruning. Small trees, however, are sometimes seriously injured when the cicadas are numerous. Periodical cicadas do not bite or sting and are harmless to people.

A tempest in a teapot and lots of fun for little boys of the Calvin and Hobbs type.

Atleast its not the ones that can come through man made portals or sorry fast growing miniture black holes linked to the abyss bottem pitts. So we will manage

reply to post by spacedonk


Ok, just checking and you scared me a lil bit, just a lil

I have heard that trying to drive through them is worse than driving through a snow storm. The roads are slicker than ice.

I think it's great news!

For the cicada killers......those are some BIG bees. But I love pickin em up when they have a cicada attached and helpin em to their dirt mounds haha

prophecies............


O

Originally posted by tncryptogal
I guess it's a slow news day for the UK to be reporting on it. After all, it isn't like there are not other important things happening, like the new revelations from Fukishima or anything.

Well, it IS the Daily Mail.

Plus the UK news has been dominated by the flooding over there, the McCanns, doubts cast on the Iraq dossier about Saddam Hussein being a threat and this super injuction business.

This is my third cicada invasion since living here (1998 and 1985 being the other two). I think it's amazing to watch at night when they are emerging - its like night of the living dead for a full week - these things crawl from the ground and cover the trunks of trees, and they are ghostly white when they are breaking out of their shell.

It's a prophecy alright - and right on schedule. My wife thought the sound was soothing yesterday. Today my dog won't go outside after they start screaming in the afternoon, and it isn't so soothing anymore...

And yes for those that haven't seen it - they are very regional - and there are millions of them. I know there are tens of thousands on just one tree in my front yard.

Wonder if Air Canada will refuse to fly into Nashville this time like they did in 1998? They seem to love jets, they flock them at the gate and get inside the jetways.

Here is what they look like before their second skin hardens.




If it doesn't pop up, please check out my personal pictures. It's been uploaded there.