Cicadas

Some of the cicadas live for 17 years burrowed in the ground then suface and die after 5 weeks.. Sometimes in the summer they make really pretty sounds.. As long as they're aren't thousands and thousands of them everyone should be fine.. Plus they leave behind they're little exoskeletons and it's cool when u find them ;D

Personally I'm more worried about chiggers than cicadas cause you can't see some of the chiggers and they're really itchy and yucky.. did any of you guys have problems with chiggers or was it mainly just ticks?
BUGS! BUGS! BUGS!

Ok i did a little research . It looks like we maybe ok..
but heres an ariticle i found on the web:
its from a new station..

Plug your ears! Cicadas ready to end 17 years of silencee

By HOLLY EDWARDS
Staff Writer


Some are groaning in dread and canceling outdoor weddings, others are filled with fascination and fondly recalling childhood memories as parts of Middle Tennessee brace for the spring emergence of Brood X — the largest population of cicadas on Earth.

In May and June, after spending 17 years underground, sucking the sap from tree roots, billions of the red-eyed insects will burrow their way to the surface, mate for six weeks and die.

The shrill, piercing, incessant sound that drives many people to near insanity is the male cicada's mating call, a love song designed to lure as many female cicadas as possible during the brief breeding cycle.

For people, however, the call is anything but enticing.

''That noise just doesn't stop, and it gets really loud out here in the sticks,'' said Mark Hadden, a Hickman County vegetable farmer. ''The frogs are bad enough, but they stop. And then these things fly into your head. They're just a nuisance.''

But Valerie Chaffin of Wilson County said she thought the expected emergence of Brood X was ''hysterical.'' While her husband complains about the horrible crunching sound of trapped cicadas under his lawn mower, she said the sound of cicadas brings back memories of her childhood in Alabama.

''I have these memories of being a child and hearing that noise at night. It really takes me back. It's kind of nice.''

Other unsentimental residents are making life-altering decisions in anticipation of the expected racket.

''I'm already getting calls from people who're going to postpone their outdoor weddings and receptions because it'll mess up their video,'' said David Cook, a lab technician at the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension center in Nashville.

''And cicadas aren't the cutest things in the world, with those bulging red eyes. They get pretty excited when they get out of the ground. It's like they're out on parole or something.''

In Middle Tennessee, the emergence is expected to occur in May and June and be concentrated in Wilson, DeKalb, Hickman, Wayne, Lincoln and Franklin counties, said Frank Hale, an entomology professor at the University of Tennessee's agricultural center in Nashville.

In some areas, the cicada population could reach 1.5 million per acre, Hale said. ''A lot of people think they're fascinating, and some people even cook them up and eat them. ''Kids love 'em, and if you don't, maybe you just need to be more childlike and enjoy them.''

The longest-living insect known, cicadas have a unique life cycle that benefits plants as well as people, Hale said.

The cicadas aerate the soil as they burrow to the surface through small holes, he said. And when they die at the end of their frantic mating cycle, they release nitrogen into the soil as they decompose, serving as a fertilizer.

While they don't eat foliage, the females can damage twigs when they make slits in them to deposit their eggs, he said. They are particularly attracted to fruit trees, which can lead to losses for some grove owners.

When the eggs hatch in about six weeks, the nymphs fall to the ground, and the 17-year cycle begins again.

During their time above ground, cicadas also provide an abundant food supply for birds and small animals. Their conspicuous buzzing, large size and clumsiness make them easy targets, said James Oliver, an entomology professor at Tennessee State University.

Entomologists might be filled with wonder, but many see the swarms of cicadas as something more ominous.

''They cover everything like a blanket, and at night they make all these eerie noises,'' said Harry Watkins of Wilson County. ''It makes me think of the Bible and the locusts that came in like a curse on us.''

Where to find them

Wilson, DeKalb, Hickman, Lincoln, Franklin and Wayne counties are the Midstate counties expected to get the brunt of Brood X. Davidson County, where many residents have vivid memories of the 13-year cicada in 1998, will get a reprieve from this one, though there may be a few isolated outbreaks in the area.

East Tennessee will see the worst of Brood X. West Tennessee sees the highest concentrations of a 13-year cicada that last emerged in 2002.

hahah..good call KC!

Counting stars by candlelight
all are dim but one is bright:
the spiral light of Venus
rising first and shining best,
From the northwest corner
of a brand-new crescent moon
crickets and cicadas sing
a rare and different tune....

I was wondering when this topic would hit the board. I am from TN and was here the summer of '98 when the 13 year cicadas hit. I won't lie - they were AWFUL and came in masses of 1000's and 1000's. If you have never experienced them before, "bizarre" is about the only word there is to describe them. It really was kind of funny because you would see people at traffic lights jumping out of their cars in a frenzy because one had flown in their car or down their shirt. You knew exactly what had happend. They don't bite or sting. They are just annoying. Maybe we will get lucky and they will come in late May and be on the downward spiral by June 11th. Manchester is in Coffee county, which is not listed as one of the high volume counties. Franklin County is listed which is in Winchester, TN approx. 20 miles away.

As far as ticks and chiggers, I didn't have a problem last year with either. We did not get any severe cold weather/snow to speak of this Winter so I would suspect it could be a little more of a problem this year.

I agree with BonnarooPaul, if they are here, it will definitely add something to the festival. But for those having a serious "trip", I don't think the sound will mess with you as much as being twacked in the chest or head by lots of cicadas ;D

Where is Coffee county in relation to the counties listed for the cicadas?

On Sunday night last year at the Dead I got a tick on my leg.
I also came home with chiggers that drove me crazy for about 5 days.
Bug spray is high on my list this year..

I am more worried about ticks than I am cicadas. As it has been stated, cicadas are more annoying than anything else. Meanwhile, ticks can carry lime disease and are much more troublesome than cicadas ever thought about being. Off Deep Woods is said to be the best bug spray, so I intend to bring at least two. I am certain they make a non-aerosol bottle.

Pump-spray 100% deet (diluted to 60% as per my Ranger buddy's advice) over my sunscreen kept me bug-free the last two years.

I live in Cincy and we have a Cicada expert at on the the colleges. They don't bite, or sting, or hurt anyone. There just annoying. I'm looking foward to the cicadas, when I saw that Brood X (the 17 year ones) will be at Bonnaroo I was happy. I doubt the bugs will drown out the music but you'll hear them. I remember the last time they showed up in Cincy. We had too much fun with them.

They'll be more near the trees just so you know.

I sent this to the Mailing list, but it seems not everyone on this board reads those. Hope this helps:

I lived in Smyrna, Tennessee (20 miles South of Nashville) 17 years ago and experienced the dreaded "Cicada Invasion" of the Generation 'X' Cicadas. Probably had 10,000 of them in the treeline behind my house (3/4 an acre). PLEASE people, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE CICADAS!!! At worst, their sounds are annoying. They don't bite, pinch, or leave marks if they land on you, but you can feel their feet on bare skin - not even close to painful, but noticeable. I did not alter any outdoor activities because of them. Sure, a few landed on me (I had long hair and NEVER had to untangle one from there), but they are docile bugs - not slimy, or dirty or any "bad" things you can think of to describe them. You can easily pick them up between your thumb and forefinger and release them into the air. They are about the size of an adult human male's thumb, but relatively lightweight. One thing I really liked about them is that when you held one, without causing any damage to them, they "screamed", a sound like a cat wailing, or maybe a little like a baby with a bad temper - I would guess it is their defense mechanism. In the trees when not threatened, all the nearby Cicadas "get together" vocally and make a wave-like sound: low volume slowly increasing to a higher volume, then back down to start all over again - really soothing, actually. I slept with my windows open in the house, and actually slept better with the sound (does anybody use a sound machine while sleeping?). Personally, I'm looking forward to the symphony again. Oh, yea, Dusk and early evening darkness is the best time to listen in; that's when they try to lure that sexy female Cicada into their clutches. -- TNFatman

cicadas, no problem. chiggers, problem. i suggest spraying you ankles, boots, sandals, etc. with bud spray. if you get eaten up, once you get home draw a warm bath, add a couple cap fulls of bleach and sit in the tub a while. if you get them at the show and can't stop itching, take some deoderant(white stick type, not spray or gel) and apply to the affected area. it may help the itching (works for me).

Talk about timing! The owners of the site must have been reading all the Cicada posts for Bonnaroo. Check out the "How Things Work" website, where they discuss Cicadas in this article. Go to www.howstuffworks.com/cicada.htm for the real story.

8-)Info from a local regarding the cicadas: They are extremely loud and NUMEROUS, but harmless. The piles of exoskeletons around trees is impressive. They won't effect the band volume around Centeroo, but will drown out most expectations of hearing any music from the campsites. As a third year roo vet (plus Itchycoo for anyone that knew what that was), the cicadas will only add to this surreal event. Think of them as nature's band that plays long sets every night you're here!

hey all...thought i would share what knowledge i have on this subject. my parents owned a campground in N. FL and i went through the whole cicada thing as a kid. I know its not tennessee...but it has to be somewhat the same. they are harmless, dont bite, sting...just want to breed. lol
if there is anyting you should worry about its ticks, mosquitos and chiggers. i have been to roo the past 2 years and had no problems with this...but we did a few things that may have contributed. we brought a cintronilla candle, and tiki torches for the campsite for mosquitos. this also gave us a great campfire feeling at night. JUST MAKE SURE YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE ABOUT THIS!!! PUT THEM OUT BEFORE LEAVING CAMP OR PASSING OUT!!!!
we also had some bug repelent wand wipes we would use in the mornings. oh, and when we first set up camp we sprayed repelent around the base of the tent...kept the little critters out! if you do find you are itching pretty bad in a certain spot its probably a chigger. best thing my mom did for us when we were little was to put some clear nail polish over the 'red dot'...sufficate them! sounds harsh...but works great. i recommend checking yourself at least one a day for ticks...they can be anywhere...check your hair too!!! like someone said they can carry disease...but this is nothig to freak out about as long as you check yourself.
my best advise if you want to avoid the bugs...dont go into the woods to use the bathroom. chiggers love to stay in knee high grass, and if you wander off into the woods you will probably experience the wonders of at least one of the above mentioned.

also want to let you all know the users of the listserver have designed a few cicada shirts. from the real looking thing to crazy cartoon caracters! sorry i dont have the links of you are interested. if you post something on listserve someone will give you the info. a few of the designs are on zazzle.com and they are customizable. just run a search for cicadas. i think the better designs are on the listserver link though. i believe they are trying to fix it so you can print it out yourself and have it made...or order it from zazzle.

i know a lot of the things i said have already been mentioned...just wanted to be helpful and cover everything i felt i could help with!
SEE YOU ALL SOON....CANT WAIT...MUST...HAVE...ROO...NOW............

Steph