Cicadas

[rjamesohio]

I don't remember these guys being a motorcycle nuisance from 17 years ago and I was definitely riding then?

Here we are on the cusp of their re-emergence. And the National is less than two months away!

Should we gird ourselves or do they basically hang out in trees and make racket? I sure don't remember any of them going splat on me during a ride :)

Ron

[Guzzistajohn]

Haven't seen them yet in Missouri. Years ago when they appeared, I was a carpet layer then, I got a job doing an outdoor miniature golf course all glue down. Those things were a PITA!!

Couldn't catch a fish in a creek to save your ass that year. 

They don't fly too much but they do drop out of trees.

[Steve Scott]

They're poor flyers with bad eyesight, and they're attracted to anything that sounds remotely like a mate. I remember they seemed to like the sound of the disc brakes on my Jackal approaching a stop. I wish I had a picture of the mob of cicadas hanging on me when I was running the lawnmower! They're also pretty slow, I remember seeing one flying right at be at an intersection in my car and I had enough time to roll up the window before it hit the glass and fell to the ground. They'll also get everywhere. My Wife even found them in her purse after bolting through a cloud of them from her car to the house. Mostly they're noisemakers, I actually kinda liked them.

And yes, they make a pretty good splat.

[rtbickel]

Usually you can see one coming and duck, but they are too hard to splat.  Think getting hit with a small lobster at 70 mph.  Windshields and full face helmets needed in cicada season. 

[Dirk_S]

I’ll take being swarmed by cicadas over those big, green June beetles. Cicadas have earned their time in the sun.

[wavedog]

 Cicadas? How about love-bugs. Nasty. If left on a car or bike long enough the squashed innards damage paint. Yuk.

[kballowe]

Was it 2001 ?   I remember those things swarming me every time I revved up the weed eater.
Several different years converged to make the largest swarm in many, many years.

[Ncdan]

When I first saw this post I thought y’all were talking about those Mexican wrap things. I like mine with chicken 🤔🤣😂😂

[ChrisG]

They're very photogenic, I'm looking forward to taking more pics .......

[s1120]

I’ll take being swarmed by cicadas over those big, green June beetles. Cicadas have earned their time in the sun.

Many years ago I was riding in the hills near me at dusk, and ended up going through a swarm of those big huge june bugs..  Left welts on my chest through the leather jacket!!! 

[Dirk_S]

They're very photogenic, I'm looking forward to taking more pics ...

Great images!

[aproud1]

They don't bother me too much except when mowing the lawn. They go bonkers and my house backs up to a wooded area. I guess the added compostable material will help the lawn.

The sound and the smell do get a little old.