Sunday, April 25, 2021

Brood X - The Cycle of Nature

They’ve been buried — alive — for 17 years. And now, Brood X, one of the world’s largest swarms of giant fly-like bugs called cicadas, is ready to rise. As our ground starts to warm, they've stopped gnawing on tree roots and have started their journey to the surface by the hundreds of billions. 

~Todd, at the moment is totally oblivious as to what's underground~

After tunneling their way out of the ground near tree trunks, they’ll crawl up trees, or things they mistake for trees, and shed a thin shell from which they emerge as technicolor animals with big orange eyes and wings.

~A Brood X Cicada from 2004~

Experts have been telling us for months that here in Virginia “We are at the epicenter of an event that happens nowhere else on the planet except here in the Eastern United States.” Those same experts are also telling us that it's going to be pretty remarkable, come the latter half of May. The densities of the cicadas in some places is going to be nothing short of phenomenal, about 1.5 million per acre. 

~We have a lot of space for cicadas!~

In our corner of Virginia, we are already starting to see them emerge, as 100's of holes are starting to appear around some of our trees. 

~Cicada holes are starting to appear around our trees~

We were here in Virginia in 2004, the last time "Brood X" made their appearance, but we were living in a relatively new subdivision and only heard them. However, where we live now the ground and the area has been pretty much undisturbed, the trees are mature, so it's anyone's guess as to how many we'll see. I may feel differently once Brood X actually appears, but at the moment, I cannot wait to see them -- After 17 years, it really is the cycle of nature at its best!

~Me, showing Todd a cicada tunnel~

14 comments:

  1. Hello,
    We are living in the same home and area, but I do not remember the Cicadas. We hear so many nature sounds here, the frogs are really loud. Love the cute furbabies! Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!

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  2. That's interesting, we heard about it briefly on the news or something but your post was more in depth. Thanks for the info.

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  3. this was fascinating! I had no idea about their cycle of life.
    as a child we always loved to find the 'shell' it was usually clinging to a tree. a perfect little replica of the living cicada! even to it's eyes. sometimes their sound is so loud at night as to override other nature sounds! oh wait. that's the sound in my own ears. LOL. oh well. better that than ringing. cicadas are the sound of Summer to me. xo

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  4. We don't think we have any of those cicadas around here but our mom remembers the one summer she stayed in college at WVU there was a cicada emergence. It will be interesting to see how many you get on your property.

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  5. Here in Missouri we have annual cicadas. They're really noisy on summer nights. The dogs love to crunch them like potato chips.

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  6. I don't really understand the 17 year thing as we get cicadas every year here in Michigan.

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  7. That tunnel is really cool - never seen anything quite like that. We like to catch the cicadas when they fly by.

    Woos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber

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  8. When I was 17, the area around Baton Rouge had a huge, huge brood emerge. They were deafening, and I loved it! I would think, "What hath God wrought?" as they sang and sang in the trees.

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  9. I van only imagine what it will sound like!

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  10. Wow, that is amazing. It also sounds like it might be a bit freaky! :) I hope you'll keep us posted!

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  11. I once lived in Baltimore as a little girl. And I remember cicadas! Amazing. It's even more amazing to imagine them underground for 17 years. I wonder what they'll think of the changes in world after 17 years?

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  12. Mother Nature is amazing, isn't she?! Thank you for showing us the cicada hole, Kim. Now I'm going to be on the hunt for them in our own woods. ~Andrea xoxo

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  13. Oh my goodness, I hope that you'll weather the cicada invasion with minimal damage. Just catching up with your last two posts, a very belated Happy Birthday to wonderful Todd! The pictures of Max with the butterfly ears gave me a good laugh, as did Todd showing his displeasure with the wings. And I do hope that things are going much better with poor Cooper; what a shame that some special things were broken during his melt-down. Very sorry to learn that Shelby and Jack were returned and wishing that their next home will truly be that special family meant just for them. May your courage stay strong, Kim with sunny, cheery days ahead for all at Golden Pines!

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