Cicada Mayhem!

WARNING! This contains graphic images, those with sensitive stomachs should visit another day. Let me start with some background. I am from the West Coast and never experienced cicadas. I was excited to get to see such an unusual bug, only surfacing every 17 years. The excitement is no more. They are at invasion status, I'm waiting for the seagulls to come. It hasn't been as bad in our neighborhood, but is getting worse. Gavin's away baseball games take place in some historic neighborhoods with old trees and thousands of cicadas. It started out nice enough as they seemed pretty mellow, finding a place on the tree to attach and crawl from their exoskeleton, and looking for a lovely mate. The cicada calm is over and now it's just a mass frenzy of flying bugs with poor steering skills and high pitched buzzing you can't seem to drown out. They fly straight into us when we're outside playing, we hit them left and right on the freeway, and while I know they won't hurt you, still they are big ugly bugs in mass quantity. Addie is terrified of them as she's had a few unfortunate encounters with their big, beady, red eyes, and poor choice of landing place. She went to play at a neighbors today and sprinted all the way there -in a zig zag pattern with hands waving in the air. We went to Kings Island last week (and were attacked by cicadas at the entrance gate -actually pretty funny, because several grown men were kicking and karate chopping at them while others just ran in circles screaming) and while Gavin and I waited to go on a ride, we were informed by the operator that if you pull the cicadas leg off, the head will pop off. Of course this information had to be tested by Gavin for accuracy. Sure enough, much too my horror...or satisfaction, it proved true. So come after us, and ...off with your HEAD! We know your secret and aren't afraid to use it -well, Gavin anyway.

* If it helps, Gavin does knock them out before dismembering them. Also note, his ease with them does not always mean noble, brave defender from big, flying, bugs. At the park the other day, he collected 50+ in a water bottle. The need arose, to come show me his prize while I was pushing Addie and Cohen on the swings. He took the lid (wide top) off and began shaking them out, creating a huge swarm. Addie couldn't get away, as she was going pretty high on the swing, and the bugs were flying recklessly EVERYWHERE! Poor girl couldn't relax after that, and so, per her request, we won't be gallivanting around parks for the next couple of weeks.

Interesting fact: The male cicadas mating call can be heard as far as 440 yards.