Screaming trees
 

Somebody asked me the other day what the insects are called that appear in summertime and make a lot of noise in the trees and I didn't know the answer.

Not the crickets that make the lovely chirp-chirp-chirp noise, but the ones that SCREEEEEEAAAM.!!!!!!

So what are they? cos I want to look up on Google what kills them before I start getting suicidal tendancies.

Re: Screaming trees
 

they are great big black ones we had one in the back patio It sounded like some one was being murdered LOL

Re: Screaming trees
 

Ps the other half jumped on it and I drounded one NOt had one since AHHHHH famous last words

Re: Screaming trees
 

I havent heard any trees screaming, but will listen out tonight. I hope someone can help you, as you would be very much missed on here if you topped yourself :sneaky:;)

Re: Screaming trees
 

I'm sure you must have heard them, but you probably mistook them for heavy plant machinery.

Re: Screaming trees
 

The first year we heard them we thought it was some kind of machine starting up, Had one on our balcony, they seem to make the noise by clicking their back legs together, how does such a small thing make so much noise ????

Re: Screaming trees
 

Ha ha, you could be right there :rofl::rofl:

Re: Screaming trees
 

When I 1st heard them I was in almeria with the kids and we thought the noise was coming from the electricity box we were very worried!!!:eek: Someone told me what they were called but I've forgotten think it began with S:unsure:

Re: Screaming trees
 

they are cicadas, and the noise comes from the abdomen of the male when he is calling for females to mate.. a rather stupid thing as, once he has found a suitable female and mated..... he dies....

Re: Screaming trees
 

Now that is an open invitation for all of the women on the forum to start thinking 'if only'.

Rosemary

Re: Screaming trees
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada

http://www.chat11.com/Cicada_Recipe

http://www.naturesongs.com/cicada1.wav sound

Re: Screaming trees
 

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Screaming trees
 

my other half thought it was a cock roach I told him is wasnt LOL But like all men he thinks he was right

Re: Screaming trees
 

Are you a mind reader Rosemary???:D

Re: Screaming trees
 

i just clicked on that third link of yours and that is noooooowhere near loud enough!!

Re: Screaming trees
 

I always will remember the first time one of our cats caught a Cicada.

He came into the house with one in its mouth. The noise was really wierd but the look on his face was priceless!

Re: Screaming trees
 

Have you ever thought that they might be screaming tree bugs?

Re: Screaming trees
 

I think I live under a stone I have never heard anything screaming from a tree, well only OH when he is playing at being Tarzan and he's chasing his Jane;)

Re: Screaming trees
 

Both in the costumes as though being filmed or how Tarzan and Jane would really be .....natural?

Rosemary

Re: Screaming trees
 

Turn the volume up, they recorded it low cos I told them you hated the noise.
Did you try the recipe, they taste like popcorn when they are deep fried.

Re: Screaming trees
 

OMG they are sooooooo annoying!!!!! Wish they'd just mate and get it over with :huh:

Re: Screaming trees
 

Rosemary what do you think....having the kids here is driving me mad as I have to keep my clothes on;)

Re: Screaming trees
 

Remembering to put something on to leave the bedroom, no running from room to room in the nude, no skinny dipping. All that discomfort of bra straps etc. All that extra washing.

Rosemary

Re: Screaming trees
 

We are in the same position as our daughter is living with us. Sooooo annoying when you have to remember to put clothes on just to pop into the kitchen to put the kettle on in the morning :huh:

Re: Screaming trees
 

Just so I actually sound like I know what I am talking about next time someone asks me what that terrible noise is, how do you pronounce that word?

Sicada?
Kikada?
Chikada?

Or something else?

Re: Screaming trees
 

#

I think the first one is the nearest pronounciation, though some may disagree :)

Re: Screaming trees
 

Now where have I heard that before!!:D

Re: Screaming trees
 

Chikada is the nearest correct pronunciation.

How would you pronounce Chica or Chico?

Re: Screaming trees
 

Ok, so we have one vote for Sicada, and one vote for Chickada.

Any more offerings???????



I forgot to add one more suggestion:

Thickada. I guess that's how the Spanish would pronounce it anyway!

Re: Screaming trees
 

Its Sikada mate, from the latin of the family....Cicadoidea, and the Latin word has no emphasis on CH, thus it can only be Sikada.

Re: Screaming trees
 

and from the official Cicada website....


http://www.cicadamania.com/faq.html#a3

Re: Screaming trees
 

They have their own website??? I'm not even gonna go there.



Ta for the pronunciation thing.

Re: Screaming trees
 

go on, you know you want to, its fun on there.....

Re: Screaming trees
 

Nah. I got the live show right outside my window. No need to go listening to the bloody things on the web as well.

But I wouldn't want you to miss out:



To get the full effect you need to play this on a loop for about 8 hours solid, daily. No cheating.

By about midday you'll be scratching your eyeballs out for the sheer fun of it.

Re: Screaming trees
 

Hi keith,
You should read Matt's link, because the more you know about these bugs, the scarier they become!:eek: Did you know that they are watching you? And, they sing louder when you are nearby? They also pee (called honey dew), so if you thought it was raining...
My vote: Cicadas = si KAY das. That's in english.
In spanish, would it be una cigarra, or una chicharra?
It's confusing. Apparently, cicadas are not crickets, locusts, or grasshoppers. However, one dictionary calls them "tree crickets". There are cicadas called dog-day cicadas, or harvest flies, because they are out and about during the months of July & August (in North America, dunno about Spain.) Perhaps these are cousins, and will fly away after August?;)
Buenas noches,
Carol