Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Periodical Cicada

By SKEETERCoco Lavender is in full bloom in my Georgia Garden and giving me a nice show. Bee's love this plant and so do I with it's interesting bloom. Purple is my favorite color so I am always happy to see the arrival of my Lavender. Here is something we normally do not see until later in the year. With a warmer then normal spring, the skeletons are showing up sooner this year. These little skeletal remains are everywhere! I found all of these within a few feet of our sun-room windows. Yikes, there are lots of them this year... The woods are filled with sounds of this insect singing their heads off as I have never heard before. I found 12 of them on the East side of the house Sunday morning. I was reminded of the movie "The Birds" as I had thoughts of these things taking over! I believe they were drying out their wet wings. As I was snapping a picture of this one, I felt something on my leg. I looked down to see one of these things crawling up my leg! Yikes... I believe we are not dealing with just any Cicada this year. I believe we are seeing one of 1500 species of Cicada that shows up every 13-17 years.

Click on the video and listen for the songs in the background. You may only hear birds but if you listen beyond them, you may here our Cicada's sounds. I suspect this is the PERIODICAL CICADA, In the Garden...

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

21 comments:

  1. These usually don't show up until later on this summer in our area. I wonder if we'll experience the same numbers...

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  2. Skeeter,

    I would say your right, the annual cicada one rarely runs into the larval casings. Have fun hope they are not too bad.

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  3. You gotta love the power of the zoom lens. I've never heard of cicada and don't think I've ever seen those skeletal things. I'll have to read about this now. The photo of the bugger on your leg is great! Keep zooming.

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  4. I've never seen them in such numbers, maybe ours are the ordinary ones, not the magic or periodical ones. I enjoyed the garden sounds, both of the birds and the cicadas, and I also love that variety of lavender, that also comes in a darker shade that is equally wonderful.

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  5. The lavendar looks great!
    You collection of Cicada shells reminds me of being a kid and collecting them with my sister.

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  6. Your lavender looks so much better than mine! I have a few blooms on three plants but they are struggling. You are brave to have let that cicada crawl on your leg. I don't mind looking at bugs but they creep me out when they crawl on me. I hear them but haven't seen any yet. There seems to be more bugs of all kinds this spring...especially ticks!

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  7. Good Morning Everyone! It is another Humid day here in GA. It feels like summer and it is still April...

    Nancy, They are here early this year and in great numbers. I believe our abnormal warm temps helped them hatch early. As I sit and type, I see them flying here and there…

    Randy, I don’t recall the yearly ones having those big red eyes either! Those eyes really caught my attention. I think they are pretty bugs…

    Wendy, If you click on the highlighted word Cicada in the post, you will be directed to a link about them. I did not mention this in the post but should have. They are a Southern Bug I have had in my life since a child living in Tennessee. Yep, I love my zoom…

    Catmint, The sounds of the birds this time of year is wonderful. They just sing to me all day long as I play in the garden. I love that purple bloom as do the bee’s. They buzz all around this one like no other pollinator…

    Sherlock, it was funny as I was collecting them, I felt like a child hunting Easter Eggs! I enjoy the memories that blogging brings back to mind…

    Karin, Hum, wonder why your lavender is not doing so well? This one thrives each spring then turns a bit icky during the winter months. But always bounces back in spring. I was raised with 3 older brothers and we practically lived outside as children. I learned a lot about bugs so I know certain ones are harmless. I knew it was okay for this one to be on my leg. Anything I am not familiar with, I keep clear of it and allow the zoom lens to work its magic…

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  8. Ugh. I'm not a fan of them but we'll be getting them too. They dive bomb mowers - quite annoying!

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  9. It’s a very rainy Spring day so I thought it would be a good time to check in on you and the other Blogs I follow. Can not be out in the dirt so I am here at the computer. Seeing your Cicada, make me HOT. Well not really but we only get those things when it is really really hot up here on the lake. When one hears them, you know it is a hot day on Lake Michigan. That will be many days from now because there is still snow in piles here and there along our country roads. - Really! Jack

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  10. I could hear them over all the birds but I know what they sound like, seeing and hearing them at Tina's. I do not know if I would have if I had never heard them before. Most likely Tina is a bit behind you but I know 1 year they were there in the middle of August when I was there. Never having even hear of them, let alone hearing or seeing them I found them very interesting and fascinating. Now with that being said I still think my natural instinct would have kicked in and I would have quickly brushed it off myself if one had landed on me. Kudos to you for not doing that!!! That purple sure is pretty.

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  11. Beautiful Lavender, look at all those blooms! :)

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  12. Hi All.
    Skeeter, that sure is a pretty purple. I like it too.
    I have heard that sound many times as a child in Tn. I heard it in N.C. also.
    What is the purpose of them anyway?
    Well, gotta go put the sprinkler on my corn since it is late enough now. Sun is getting low enough.

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  13. I think you are totally right about the periodical cicadas. We've been seeing a lot of articles about them in the paper this year. I've not experienced them before but hear they can be very bad from like Nashville and below. I loved the video hearing the birds. That lavender is splendid!!

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  14. Forgot to say that the Internet, phone and cable has been out all day. We lost power for a while last night too. There is an awful lot of damage in and around Clarksville. Some streets have houses that every single house that had a tree lost the tree or part of it. No damage here but more tornadoes and severe weather due tonight. Spring weather gone wild today this year. Everyone stay safe.

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  15. oh boy that is some interesting looking bug although not on my leg please...love the lavender

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  16. Good evening everyone! It has been a long, busy tiring day for me. We have been working on a major house renovation and I am finding less and less time for blogging. Please forgive me for not answering each of you but I am just plum tired tonight!

    Everyone have a great evening and I shall drop by your blogs in the morning to say hey and see what is going on....

    Jean and Lola, I dont think the south would be the same without the cicada's singing during the summer months. Although, really early this year....

    Tina, please send us some of that rain but not the storms please! My mom already has a plan ready in case a repeat of last years high waters. Lord, lets hope not again.....

    Time for recliner now....

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  17. Usually we don't hear Cicadas until July or August either, so I suspect you are right and these are periodical Cicadas. They creep me out a little too. Especially when you startle one and their wings make a sound just like a scream. Yikes.

    PS Purple is my favorite color too. Your lavender looks great.

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  18. Good day, Skeeter. That part of your garden must smell great. No wonder the bees are attracted.
    I enjoyed watching the video, thank you :)

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  19. Wow, you were brave to let that little guy crawl up your arm, Skeeter--fantastic picture! The cicadas don't usually arrive until later in the summer for us; I wonder if we'll have this many, too.

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  20. The Cicada's are super loud today! Funny thing, they had a clip about them on the news last night and with this blog I gave more info then the news! Ha....

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  21. I posted these guys yesterday! What a wild sound. Today I found one crawling out of his old exoskeleton!!

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