Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Brood X Periodical Cicadas FAQ

nps.gov

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 43 posts

Re: Brood X Periodical Cicadas FAQ

#21

Post by openasocket »

dmitryminkovsky wrote: post #12
openasocket wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This brood is orders of magnitude larger than the others. I grew up in Maryland and I don't think I've ever seen a cicada up close except for now and 17 years prior. Sure I heard them sometimes in the summer, but this is something else.

I'm in Maryland too. Are you seeing them in any quantity?

Yeah, but it's patchy. There's a couple big trees down the block from my house where each one has hundreds of those exoskeletons on them, there's literally a carpet of the exoskeletons around them. While my backyard has 6 trees and I've yet to notice even one out there. I've seen a few dozen live ones, but all seem to be freshly matured. Most of them didn't have their wings fully unfolded yet, and haven't seen a single one flying or heard a single one calling.

Re: Brood X Periodical Cicadas FAQ

#22

Post by dang »

We changed the title from "Brood X cicadas, which come out ever 17 years, come out in the Eastern U.S.", in keeping with the site guidelines.

If you want to share why you posted an article, that's great! But it's best to do so via a comment in the thread. https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&so...

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Brood X Periodical Cicadas FAQ

#23

Post by rootusrootus »

legerdemain wrote: post #3

I was in college on the east coast of the US last time this brood emerged. More than any class reunion, I have looked forward to coming back to experience this wild and bizarre phenomenon. COVID scrambled those plans. The next time brood X comes out, I'll be middle-aged. Most of my life will have run its course. I hope the cicadas will help me make peace with that fact.

> I'll be middle-aged. Most of my life will have run its course.

What are you defining as middle age? If you were in college 17 years ago, aren't you basically middle age now, or at least pretty close? I certainly hope your life hasn't already run its course :).

Re: Brood X Periodical Cicadas FAQ

#24

Post by giantg2 »

tashi wrote: post #14
legerdemain wrote: post #3

I was in college on the east coast of the US last time this brood emerged. More than any class reunion, I have looked forward to coming back to experience this wild and bizarre phenomenon. COVID scrambled those plans. The next time brood X comes out, I'll be middle-aged. Most of my life will have run its course. I hope the cicadas will help me make peace with that fact.

I don't think people usually start coming to terms with death by their mid-fifties. Where I live they mostly seem to be training for their first triathlons.

Eh, I'm in my 30s and have made peace with th fact that I will die one day, and probably sooner than I hope.

We all must live life on life's terms.

Re: Brood X Periodical Cicadas FAQ

#26

Post by dmitryminkovsky »

plaidfuji wrote: post #19
plaidfuji wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m in MD as well... there’s a big maple tree in my yard that’s attracted probably hundreds of them at this point, lots of holes in the ground around it from when they emerged, but they haven’t started singing yet, or even moving tbh. And hundreds is a lot, but not “covering the entire tree” by any means. Just a surprisingly large number of giant, docile bugs in the corner of the yard.

Update: just went outside to check (it’s dusk)... there are thousands more coming out right now. It’s gonna be nuts tomorrow morning.

Thanks for the update. Will look more tomorrow. Exciting...

Re: Brood X Periodical Cicadas FAQ

#27

Post by dmitryminkovsky »

oh_sigh wrote: post #13
dmitryminkovsky wrote: post #7

Had never experienced something like these cicadas 17 years ago. Epic, biblical. Have been waiting ever since. Last few days I've seen a few here and there, but nothing in comparison to what I was expecting. Will this take some time to ramp up?

I think it really depends on where you are. Even within their range, in some places they've been wiped out from pesticides, or tree removals, or got their signals mixed up and emerged early/will emerge late. I can say that I was in Silver Spring, MD for Brood X in the spring of 2004, and for a few days you couldn't take a step without squishing 20 cicadas. Trees looked like you had dropped acid because they were lite…

> I can say that I was in Silver Spring, MD for Brood X in the spring of 2004, and for a few days you couldn't take a step without squishing 20 cicadas. Trees looked like you had dropped acid because they were literally covered >50% of their surface area in wiggling cicadas. I started carrying an umbrella because I would be picking them of of myself for a half hour from the mere 20' walk from my car to my front door.

This is how I remember it...

Re: Brood X Periodical Cicadas FAQ

#28

Post by dmitryminkovsky »

openasocket wrote: post #21
dmitryminkovsky wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in Maryland too. Are you seeing them in any quantity?

Yeah, but it's patchy. There's a couple big trees down the block from my house where each one has hundreds of those exoskeletons on them, there's literally a carpet of the exoskeletons around them. While my backyard has 6 trees and I've yet to notice even one out there. I've seen a few dozen live ones, but all seem to be freshly matured. Most of them didn't have their wings fully unfolded yet, and haven't seen a sing…

Thanks. Sibling comment [0] says they are seeing many right now. So maybe tomorrow morning...

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27190262

Re: Brood X Periodical Cicadas FAQ

#29

Post by jccalhoun »

dstaley wrote: post #6

I'm a bit perplexed as to why cicadas have been in the news lately. It's my understanding that almost every year there's a brood that emerges. In fact, I think it's more noteworthy that 2023 will be the first year in almost a decade without the emergence of cicadas.

If you are where brood x is coming out there will be enough of them that you can scoop them up by the shovel full.

Re: Brood X Periodical Cicadas FAQ

#30

Post by jccalhoun »

dmitryminkovsky wrote: post #7

Had never experienced something like these cicadas 17 years ago. Epic, biblical. Have been waiting ever since. Last few days I've seen a few here and there, but nothing in comparison to what I was expecting. Will this take some time to ramp up?

yes. it hasn't really started yet. I've seen some sightings locally on reddit but nothing here yet. You will know it when they are here.
Post reply on HN