you guys are so funny! But I guess it's the fact they live underground for 17 years and only come out for a few weeks to mate and then they all die and leave their little babies behind. Reminds me of Charlotte's Web I guess. The music makes it pretty too. I was watching this at work and had to get a tissue out cause I got all weepy. And I HATE insects!
I remember working in Elmhurst last time (which has a lot of trees) they came and walking down the sidewalks and it was like, crunch, crunch, crunch.
I remember collecting some of the left behind skins these guys shed, when I was a lot younger. Pretty impressive looking. Of course now they would probably would look a little smaller..
These guys are wonderful! I love 'em, but you knew I was gonna say that.
You want to see a mess?? Try being in Bergen and Passaic County in June 1971 when we had the first major outbreak of gypsy moths. Now that was a mess. There was a little bridge that divided my town and the fire company had to keep a truck there to power wash it down every 15 minutes or so because when the cars ran over the bodies, the bridge was as slick as if it was covered with ice in the winter.
And yes, Rottie, stuff like this makes me shiver 'cause I do see God in it. You'll see Him even bigger if you put a leaf under a microscope!
I don't know, stuff like this just makes me appreciate God more and more. How awesome!
Agree, RottieGirl. Thanks for the post. Quite awesome.
So 1990 would have been the last time they were out among us. My youngest was still a just a "twinkle in his Daddy's eyes" and my oldest were 1 and 3. Lots sure happens in 17 years!
Wonder how trees are helped by them drinking the sap from their roots. Must be something necessary. Always amazing how intricately nature supports itself.
Things like this are awesome Rottie. God's design is mind boggling! I grew up in the Chicago area and can't say I remember the critturs in my youth but living in Kentucky now we get a sampeling of them pretty much every year. I've learned that there are two types of cicadas...a 15 year varity and a 17 year varity. Both kinds have enough broods on different cycles that most years have cicadas out-n-about. Each brood takes the full 15 or 17 years to develop and some broods are known to be bigger than others so an 'outbreak' can be predicted based on the size of that cycles last outbreak. We had a fairly large brood 2 years ago (one of the 17 year cycles) and it gets LOUD!! Cool stuff! Another awesome phenomenon are the fire flys...every so often there are so many that it looks like swarming star clusters swirling through the yard...and don't even get me started on astronomy...! God's creation is totally amazing!!
After dealing with plagues of gypsy moth caterpillars here - to the extent where they had caused car accidents because there were so many of them in the road that it was like driving on ice... I don't get how you "love" these bugs... seems like an Alfred Hitchcock thing to me...
I'm such an insect-o-phobe that I could only watch for a couple of seconds, but I understand why you'd appreciate the Godly design behind it all.
I know the homlier creatures on earth have a purpose in the grand scheme of things. For instance, if there weren't creepy-crawlies, what would the cast members on Survivor eat?!? :lol: :lol:
Me, I prefer mammals to insects--both for watching and eating!
After dealing with plagues of gypsy moth caterpillars here - to the extent where they had caused car accidents because there were so many of them in the road that it was like driving on ice... I don't get how you "love" these bugs... seems like an Alfred Hitchcock thing to me...
Gypsy Moths!!!!!
The Devil!!! Kill!!! Destroy!!!!
(I hate those things, they ruin a perfectly good summer)
You guys are so cool, I've really enjoyed all your responses. I really liked the cicada recipes. How you are supposed to catch them early in the morning (when they are nice and juicey?) and throw them in the freezer.
People have really taken time out to make some edibles with these creatures! I read also that it's okay for dogs and cats to feast on these, but they may have a problem digesting the wings and shell, so you have to watch them. It's a gourmet feast for them too I guess!
According to Wikipedia, for whatever it's worth... "Brood X" (the Great Eastern Brood) a seventeen-year brood stretching from New York to North Carolina on the East Coast to Illinois and Michigan, emerged in May 2004. Brood X is the largest of the broods of the periodical cicadas; it will emerge again in 2021.
The next brood to emerge is Brood XIII—the Northern Illinois Brood. (That's us!) After a seventeen-year hiatus, this brood is only scheduled to emerge in 2007. However, sightings in northern Illinois have occurred as early as May 2006.
The gypsy moths are an example of an ill advised import of a specied into a place where they did not exist naturally. That's why they produce such a hassle.
But still, in the long and short of it, even the ugliest dung beetle has a purpose. A couple of dozen of them can bury and therefore remove the pile of several elephant's dukies in under an hour. I don't want that job!
The gypsy moths are an example of an ill advised import of a specied into a place where they did not exist naturally. That's why they produce such a hassle.
I think I heard someone say gypsy moths were brought thinking they were silk worms.
They are one of the species of silk worms. They were imported from England with the hope of increasing silk production by breeding the two worms together. I didn't work! When the lab was cleaned up afterward, the lab assistant tossed the remaining worms out the lab window. They pupated, adults emerged the next spring and the rest is history.
In England these creatures have natural enemies which keep their numbers in check. There were none here hence the explosion in their population. Their numbers are kept in check today with biological controls. BT is a bacterium which attacks the caterpillars in such a way that that they never pupate and never reproduce. There is also a predatory wasp which acts in a similar way.
Oh man, somebody help me out here, Illinois had this same kind of problem with some sort of Japanese bug, that looked like a lady bug, but it wasn't, a few years ago. They were brought over here for some farmers to kill something, and they were an absolute menace. They were everywhere and they BIT! I still see them but not nearly as much as the invasion we had a few years ago. Any Illinoisens remember this?
The gypsy moths are an example of an ill advised import of a specied into a place where they did not exist naturally. That's why they produce such a hassle.
But still, in the long and short of it, even the ugliest dung beetle has a purpose. A couple of dozen of them can bury and therefore remove the pile of several elephant's dukies in under an hour. I don't want that job!
(slightly...)
We always tell our oldest when he askes that age-old question: "What's for supper?"
Deep-fried dung beetles with cheese sauce.
To which, he replies, "I don't want deep dung fried beetles!" (and of course his little malaprop is as funny the 60th time as it was the first!)
But still, in the long and short of it, even the ugliest dung beetle has a purpose. A couple of dozen of them can bury and therefore remove the pile of several elephant's dukies in under an hour. I don't want that job!
do they work on American Bulldog poop? ...I could use a few (dozen) of them!
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likeaneagle
Hey Rottiegirl, im from Chicago too,I do remeber the invasion 17 yrs ago, nasty little booger's..crunch crunch...keep your car window's closed..
thanks for the update..
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coolchef
yuck!!
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SafariVista
Getting itchy watching them~ ewwwww
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RottieGrrrl
you guys are so funny!
But I guess it's the fact they live underground for 17 years and only come out for a few weeks to mate and then they all die and leave their little babies behind. Reminds me of Charlotte's Web I guess. The music makes it pretty too. I was watching this at work and had to get a tissue out cause I got all weepy. And I HATE insects!
I remember working in Elmhurst last time (which has a lot of trees) they came and walking down the sidewalks and it was like, crunch, crunch, crunch.
eagle I didn't know you are from chicago area!
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Ham
I remember collecting some of the left behind skins these guys shed, when I was a lot younger. Pretty impressive looking. Of course now they would probably would look a little smaller..
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dmiller
But I hear they are tasty, nutritional, and can be cooked in a variety of ways!
Shouldn't they be considered a gourmet dish?
Only *available* once every 17 years, ya know.
CICADA-LICIOUS RECIPES (From NPR)
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krys
These guys are wonderful! I love 'em, but you knew I was gonna say that.
You want to see a mess?? Try being in Bergen and Passaic County in June 1971 when we had the first major outbreak of gypsy moths. Now that was a mess. There was a little bridge that divided my town and the fire company had to keep a truck there to power wash it down every 15 minutes or so because when the cars ran over the bodies, the bridge was as slick as if it was covered with ice in the winter.
And yes, Rottie, stuff like this makes me shiver 'cause I do see God in it. You'll see Him even bigger if you put a leaf under a microscope!
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Suda
Agree, RottieGirl. Thanks for the post. Quite awesome.
So 1990 would have been the last time they were out among us. My youngest was still a just a "twinkle in his Daddy's eyes" and my oldest were 1 and 3. Lots sure happens in 17 years!
Wonder how trees are helped by them drinking the sap from their roots. Must be something necessary. Always amazing how intricately nature supports itself.
Suda
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RainbowsGirl
OMG eat 'em; No Thank You! :o
I still haven't recovered from eating chocolate covered bugs in Junior High and not even told till afterwards.
They belong outside of me and my abode!
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Tom Strange
17 years??? ...these things are in our trees every spring and summer singing away...
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Suda
Tom, not sure, but don't think these are your everyday Cicadas, but a separate breed or something.
Suda
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dmiller
Not the same ones Tom. The *17 year variety* litters your yard, driveway, etc.,
with the empty shells, as well as themselves.
The noise is UNBELIEVABLE. Hard to even hear yourself think,
if you're outside. They *came out* in Indiana 2 or 3 years ago.
I was home visiting the folks, and we avoided ALL outdoor activities.
Except for the (2 or 3 times daily) sweeping the driveway of all these critters.
They really do come out by the millions.
The entire town was inundated with them.
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Ham
I remember something about prime numbers, where some speciies choose a prime number for the years of its cycles, so as to avoid predators..
I'll have to look it up this weekend, unless another math nut beats me to it..
seventeen is a prime number. somehow, it is off sync from the cycles of predators, thus ensuring it's survival. who knows.. heheh.
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Walk This Way...
Things like this are awesome Rottie. God's design is mind boggling! I grew up in the Chicago area and can't say I remember the critturs in my youth but living in Kentucky now we get a sampeling of them pretty much every year. I've learned that there are two types of cicadas...a 15 year varity and a 17 year varity. Both kinds have enough broods on different cycles that most years have cicadas out-n-about. Each brood takes the full 15 or 17 years to develop and some broods are known to be bigger than others so an 'outbreak' can be predicted based on the size of that cycles last outbreak. We had a fairly large brood 2 years ago (one of the 17 year cycles) and it gets LOUD!! Cool stuff! Another awesome phenomenon are the fire flys...every so often there are so many that it looks like swarming star clusters swirling through the yard...and don't even get me started on astronomy...! God's creation is totally amazing!!
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ChasUFarley
After dealing with plagues of gypsy moth caterpillars here - to the extent where they had caused car accidents because there were so many of them in the road that it was like driving on ice... I don't get how you "love" these bugs... seems like an Alfred Hitchcock thing to me...
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Linda Z
I'm such an insect-o-phobe that I could only watch for a couple of seconds, but I understand why you'd appreciate the Godly design behind it all.
I know the homlier creatures on earth have a purpose in the grand scheme of things. For instance, if there weren't creepy-crawlies, what would the cast members on Survivor eat?!? :lol: :lol:
Me, I prefer mammals to insects--both for watching and eating!
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Bolshevik
Gypsy Moths!!!!!
The Devil!!! Kill!!! Destroy!!!!
(I hate those things, they ruin a perfectly good summer)
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RottieGrrrl
You guys are so cool, I've really enjoyed all your responses. I really liked the cicada recipes. How you are supposed to catch them early in the morning (when they are nice and juicey?) and throw them in the freezer.
People have really taken time out to make some edibles with these creatures! I read also that it's okay for dogs and cats to feast on these, but they may have a problem digesting the wings and shell, so you have to watch them. It's a gourmet feast for them too I guess!
According to Wikipedia, for whatever it's worth... "Brood X" (the Great Eastern Brood) a seventeen-year brood stretching from New York to North Carolina on the East Coast to Illinois and Michigan, emerged in May 2004. Brood X is the largest of the broods of the periodical cicadas; it will emerge again in 2021.
The next brood to emerge is Brood XIII—the Northern Illinois Brood. (That's us!) After a seventeen-year hiatus, this brood is only scheduled to emerge in 2007. However, sightings in northern Illinois have occurred as early as May 2006.
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krys
The gypsy moths are an example of an ill advised import of a specied into a place where they did not exist naturally. That's why they produce such a hassle.
But still, in the long and short of it, even the ugliest dung beetle has a purpose. A couple of dozen of them can bury and therefore remove the pile of several elephant's dukies in under an hour. I don't want that job!
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Bolshevik
I think I heard someone say gypsy moths were brought thinking they were silk worms.
Morons.
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krys
They are one of the species of silk worms. They were imported from England with the hope of increasing silk production by breeding the two worms together. I didn't work! When the lab was cleaned up afterward, the lab assistant tossed the remaining worms out the lab window. They pupated, adults emerged the next spring and the rest is history.
In England these creatures have natural enemies which keep their numbers in check. There were none here hence the explosion in their population. Their numbers are kept in check today with biological controls. BT is a bacterium which attacks the caterpillars in such a way that that they never pupate and never reproduce. There is also a predatory wasp which acts in a similar way.
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RottieGrrrl
Oh man, somebody help me out here, Illinois had this same kind of problem with some sort of Japanese bug, that looked like a lady bug, but it wasn't, a few years ago. They were brought over here for some farmers to kill something, and they were an absolute menace. They were everywhere and they BIT! I still see them but not nearly as much as the invasion we had a few years ago. Any Illinoisens remember this?
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ChasUFarley
We always tell our oldest when he askes that age-old question: "What's for supper?"
Deep-fried dung beetles with cheese sauce.
To which, he replies, "I don't want deep dung fried beetles!" (and of course his little malaprop is as funny the 60th time as it was the first!)
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Tom Strange
do they work on American Bulldog poop? ...I could use a few (dozen) of them!
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