scrubbedexpat094

Where are they? Not really heard any so far this summer. I don't think I've ever known them to be so tardy in our 8 years here. Anyone else noticed the lack of them or is one of you keeping them to yourself????

BEVS

Nope. No circadas at all so far. They were very late last year and around for just a short while.

jmh

Why couldn’t the cicada sing?
He was a sick-cada

Snap Shot

Bliss.

We went to Mount Bruce bird reserve a couple of days ago. It was a great day out. I couldn't believe my luck, there were no cicadas with their incessant grinding rasp to spoil the day.

There's no cicadas making a racket here today, New Year's Day. Again...bliss. Tell a lie, I think I can hear one tentative one getting started.

The way I see it they're really only around in the heat of summer, i.e. January and February and even then the temperature needs to be 25 degrees centigrade minimum for them to start so I only have to put up with the noise for 8 weeks out of 52 weeks for the whole year.

j19fmm

Not so many around the house but the gun trees were full of their noise when we went for a walk today. Funny because my 82 year old dad who's visiting from the UK can't hear them at all!

RobClubley

We have loads coming out now. Quite a lot are coming out of the ground in our new greenhouse. shed skins all over!

moonie2011

We have seen a few but have not heard any. Hubby says they come in cycles, they lay dormant for several years then have a population explosion, hence lots of noise

BEVS

I dunno about that at all. We had them every year. Year on year. LOUD. Except the past two years. Virtually nothing. So that is over a ten year cycle then. Which according to the locals here is not the case.

RobClubley

Some species live underground for 18 years!
So they probably do come in cycles. But different species have different development times.

Bo-Jangles

The longer they stay away the better. We've only heard a few brave random souls that have dared to stick their heads above ground - it takes a good period of consistently hot day and night time temperatures to warm the soil and bring them out and that generally peaks when school summer holidays have ended in February.

We have observed a couple of distinctly different types that come and go in varying numbers from year to year. Usually it starts off with some less vociferous, darker coloured skinny ones and than builds up to the truly uggerly, big fat raucous bug eyed green ones.

My cat likes them ...... he will eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea.

RobClubley

Our cats and dog all eat them too.

jmh

Ick, my dog ate one too. She's only little and it took a bit of time to get it down. It was still buzzing as she gnawed at it. I was worried she would get sick, but she seemed fine.

Bo-Jangles

Oh yes indeed it takes some strength of guts for all concerned. That is a whole other matter when those suitably crunched up crickets and cicadas are delivered to your lounge carpet. Another fine mess to be dealt with... our fickle little darling catimus likes the buzz in his mouth and will gently hold onto them between his teeth for a while, before going in for the final big munchy crunch. Watch out now, get the bucket who else is gonna be sick?

RobClubley

First year here our cats are so many their poo came out green.

PHONEJUNKY

plenty chirping in my garden in Devenport noisy blighters, some of us work nights and try to sleep during the day.