<p>Anyone else in the NYC area dreading these creatures that are getting ready to crawl out of the earth and torment us for 4-6 weeks?</p>
<p>Me. I am off-the-wall phobic about insects. I would like to leave the region for a while.</p>
<p>Raising my hand! I heard about the coming invasion on the radio. I have several new (within the past two years) trees, including a beautiful yellow magnolia and a parrotia persica. According to the guy on the radio, the cicadas like to nest in tree limbs about the thickness of a pencil. I’m planning to have the trees wrapped in aviary netting. </p>
<p>[Cicada</a> 2013, How to control Cicada Insect, 17 Year Locust Sightings](<a href=“http://gardenersnet.com/atoz/cicada.htm]Cicada”>Periodical Cicada Insect Control. 13 and 17 Year Cicada Locust Sighting.)</p>
<p>It looks like I will have to wrap hollies, etc., too.</p>
<p>A little musical accompaniment?</p>
<p>[Cicadas</a> - Cowboy Junkies](<a href=“https://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/rslblog-com/cowboy-junkies-cicadas]Cicadas”>SoundCloud - Hear the world’s sounds)</p>
<p>This was on their album written during an extended visit to China. I believe this song is actually about the Cultural Revolution… :)</p>
<p>My out-of-town sister and BIL are visiting from SoCal at the end of May. I really hope the cicadas don’t spoil their visit.</p>
<p>The last time the cicadas were out in force, we had young cats who carried them into the house in their mouths and batted them around on the floor as they rattled and buzzed.</p>
<p>You guys need to embrace your inner cicada. They actually are rather interesting and they pose little threat to established plants and no threats to humans. Yes, they are noisy but c’mon, it only happens every 17 years. You’d make some noise too if it was you! A scientist studying them would like people to let him know if they see them: [THE</a> IAS CICADA WEB SITE](<a href=“http://www.msj.edu/cicada]THE”>http://www.msj.edu/cicada). Cicadas- coming to my town in 2014.</p>
<p>Agree with Onward, although, in the interest of full disclosure, I am in MA. I remember them 17 years ago and the coolest thing was finding their casings in the yard. A primitive carapace with a split down the middle where the adult emerged from. They would be clinging to tree bark in my yard.</p>
<p>It’s nature. It’s life affirming and it’s temporary.</p>
<p>It’s not just the noise. They are everywhere you have to watch not to step on them. And they are ugly. If we didn’t have them in 1996, are we good this year? I hope? I just planted 5 dogwoods and 4 hollies and numerous small shrubs.</p>
<p>EPTR - I am guessing you didn’t have them as numerous as we did. Those casings stopped being wonders after a few and many many more were coming.</p>
<p>I am in DC and I do not want them… ugh</p>
<p>Brood X in 2004 wasn’t as bad as they expected, so maybe the same will hold true this time. We were in Virginia Beach during the last hatch of Brood II and I don’t even remember them.</p>
<p>Iglooo, I’m in the same boat. We re-did our landscaping in 2011. </p>
<p>Onward, while it is true that mature trees can probably recover from the damage, young trees and shrubs probably won’t.</p>
<p>The last huge cicada invasion in North Jersey was when my kids were little- I guess 17 years ago. It was really disgusting. They ate all my hostas to the stems.</p>
<p>My dog loves cicadas! Once she catches one, she leaves it in her mouth and I swear you can hear the poor thing screaming to be let go 
I have no idea why she just holds them in her mouth and doesn’t eat them immediately; it is like she enjoys the flutter in her mouth! I have rescued a few from her grasp in the past, but sometimes they are already maimed :(</p>
<p>Looking back 17 years ago I don’t remember them being as bad as when I was in elementary school and the boys throwing them at us at recess. We had our addition completed at the beginning of 1996, so I’m wondering if we disrupted enough of our soil that we killed all the larvae, so they didn’t bother us.</p>
<p>Enjoy, Snowball’s dog! Enjoy.</p>
<p>I remember them when I lived in DC in late 80s. It was not pretty!</p>
<p>Somewhat intriguing to see, but I didn’t enjoy having them swarm around your windshield and crunch as you walked on them! My cat enjoyed chasing them</p>
<p>A friend of mine was married in Bloomington, ID in 2004. It was outdoors and all you could hear was cicada. To me they sounded like an incoming BART train. I also remember them hitting me in the face repeatedly, which was not cool. It was a bit crazy,but as a native Californian it was also novel. I also thought the fireflies were awesome.</p>
<p>Here in MA they were not very noticeable the last time so, after reading the last few posts I must admit it does sound disturbing in those large numbers. I had a dream last night they were caught in my hair.</p>
<p>I well remember the invasion of cicadas in NJ as a child. There were so many that you could hear them eating the foliage outside. Super creepy. And I was in DC in the late 80s for that invasion. Stepping on them (and there were so many that it could not be avoided) was beyond gross and when they’d fly into your hair… just awful! </p>
<p>I am dreading the upcoming invasion in NJ. I live in an older neighborhood, so I fully expect to experience the ‘full effect’ of the invasion. Sigh.</p>