Earthquakes, eclipses, and now....

[FNG]

Maps show where trillions of cicadas will emerge in the U.S. this spring

Trillions of periodical cicadas will emerge from the ground this spring, bringing with them their loud buzzing and molted exoskeletons. Here's where you will be able to see them.

www.cbsnews.com

.....trillions of cicadas!

"The broods will emerge peacefully, but Cooley said hundreds of trillions – or even quadrillions – of cicadas are expected. That's an average of 1 million per acre over millions of acres. "

It's getting crazy out there!

 

[GGJaguar]

That's an average of 1 million per acre over millions of acres.

Maybe GAD will photograph it for us.

 

[jp]

Good time to be a bat, spider, wasp, or fish! Good eatin'!

 

[Guildedagain]

So, are they edible or what?

Might be a new take on my old favorite, the Bama Pecan Pie, lol.

 

[gjmalcyon]

So, are they edible or what?

Might be a new take on my old favorite, the Bama Pecan Pie, lol.

Damn straight they are:

How to cook cicadas, which, yes, are edible

Looking for something unusual to wow – or gross out – family and friends at your next backyard barbecue? How about cooking up some earthy, crunchy cicadas?

health.osu.edu

 

[gjmalcyon]

We were camping at Turkey Run in Indiana during the 1970 hatch, and all I remember about that was how deafening the Cicadas were.

 

[GGJaguar]

I remember about that was how deafening the Cicadas were.

Yeah, Brood X from a few years ago was loudest I've ever heard. You had to practically shout to speak to someone standing right next to you. I think that lasted about 2 weeks or so.

 

[Midnight Toker]

I still vividly remember the summer of 87 in Md. I was living at the beach in Ocean City where there was nothing. Then I drove home to my parent's for the weekend and they were smashing against the windshield at a rate of 20-30 per minute. It was my first experience w/ the 17 yr cicada. Their shed shells lined every tree trunk, and even more interesting was watching this giant wasp/hornet like creature known as the "cicada killer" sting and kill a cicada, then drag it to the top of a tree and attempt to fly back to it's underground nest. It wouldn't get far from the sheer weight, but would just continue to drag it up trees and fly to the base of another tree just 20-30 yards away. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius_speciosus

 

[Opsimath]

Doesn't look like we're getting any - thank goodness!

 

[gjmalcyon]

and even more interesting was watching this giant wasp/hornet like creature known as the "cicada killer" sting and kill a cicada, then drag it to the top of a tree and attempt to fly back to it's underground nest. It wouldn't get far from the sheer weight, but would just continue to drag it up trees and fly to the base of another tree just 20-30 yards away. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius_speciosus

They don't kill 'em. The sting paralyzes the cicada, the wasp lays an egg on it and the egg hatches to a very full and very alive buffet.