Cicadas, Cicadas, Everywhere

If you have been outside recently, you have heard the buzz... both figuratively and literally.

The cicadas (si-cae-dahs or chi-cae-dahs) have arrived in Middle Tennessee!

Everywhere one looks, there are molted shells, orange eyes looking back, wings batting quickly as the bugs bombard everyone walking outside. But who knows much else about these creepy insects?

According to the Tennessean Article, these are the 13-year cicadas. Which sounds about right to me as I remember playing with the bugs as a first grader at Oak Hill.

The cicadas live underground on tree roots for thirteen years before inching their way up tree trunks. They then molt their shells, and before the buzzing ends, the females will leave their eggs for the next generation of cicadas in the branches of trees. This can cause damage to the plants, especially the saplings.

But don't worry. The plague will only last a few weeks and then we will be back to worrying about the weather and the summer activities we have planned.