Attack of the Cicadas

I believe cicadas only come out of the ground in various areas every 13 or 17 years, depending on their type. So, you would think the odds of actually having to deal with them is every 13 or 17 years. Unless you are like me and just happen to move every few years exactly where they are popping up next. I have had to deal with them in Pennsylvania and Ohio. This year they decided to come out of the ground in our backyard.

If you have not had to deal with them, lucky you. They are so loud you can hear them all through the house, even with the windows shut, the air conditioner running, and two loud toddlers running around the house. I can even deal with the sounds-one just gets used to them. After awhile, however, they become brave and start creeping closer and closer to the house so that while we are playing in the backyard, we start getting attacked. They are not harmful, but it is quite annoying to have them get stuck in your hair and start buzzing.

So, you can understand Abby's frustration yesterday when they decided to take over her favorite park. I ran on the bike trail while pushing them in the stroller yesterday and thought, "Wow, they aren't too bad today." Then we approached the park and the festation began. The kids tried to climb up the playground, pushing cicadas out of the way. They attempted to go down the slides while moms used sticks to clean them out of the way. Finally, my daughter, who absolutely loves the park, said to me, "It's time to go home, mommy."

While walking back to the car, we passed a memorial that is dedicated to firefighters. I told her what is was, so I can see why within a few minutes of walking all over the dead cicadas on the bike trail, she said to me, "Those brave firefighters have to get to work and kill the rest of the cicadas."

I usually try not to talk about the subject of killing in front of my daughter, but in this case, I had to agree with her.