Jun 2, 2008 11:36 am US/Eastern
Cicada Invasion Underway On Cape Cod
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
A phenomenon of nature 17 years in the making is underway on Cape Cod. Those noisy, red-eyed cicadas are emerging from their underground lairs.
The distinctive looking and sounding bugs tend to take over entire neighborhoods, swarming for a couple weeks while they mate and lay eggs, then dying off - not to be seen again for 17 years.
WBZ has received reports and photos of cicada sighting in Mashpee, Sandwich and Brewster.
"I heard a cicada outside our bedroom window," Louse of Brewster reported over the weekend. She has lived in the Midwest and says she is very familiar with their sound.
"The cicada's are here in Mashpee!" Sarah declared. "Our one year old was picking them off the house today, and I couldn't help but think the next time he'll be able to do that he'll be 18 years old!"
"We haven't heard the singing/humming yet, but they're shedding their brown shells everywhere and covering our trees and fence," writes Marie of Forestdale. "Our cats are having a field day with them!"
Send us your cicada photos The cicada life cycle is a true wonder of nature. For 17 years they live underground. Then nymphs emerge from holes in the ground and shed their brown shells.
"So for 16 years and 11 months they've been two feet under ground sucking on tree roots," said entomologist Dave Simser.
Cicadas only live as adults for about three weeks, during which time they mate and lay hundreds of eggs on trees. The adults then die off. Several weeks later the eggs hatch, and the new generation makes it way back underground.
"They come out and do their thing, which is mating -- singing and mating," Simser said. "Living La Vida Cicada -- party while you can."
At their height, the mating sound from swarms of male cicadas is known to be so noisy, it can keep you up at night.
"The males will make a trill sound -- a trill of a lifetime -- and they will attract females, mate, and do it all over again," Simser said.
In Massachusetts, cicada typically don't emerge any further north than the Cape. And for the record, they don't bite people.
If you have heard or seen cicadas emerging in your neighborhood, let us know.
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