# Chicago area Dopers: Seen any of those ugly little bastids yet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 22, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084 "2007-05-22T14:56:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/1 "2007-05-22T14:56:48Z")
Seventeen Year Cicadas. They’re supposed to emerge today (maybe tomorrow due to the cold weather we’ve had in the last couple weeks). They say the biggest concentrations (1.5 million per acre in wooded areas) will show up any time now. Last time, I only saw a couple and I live in the woods. Most were spotted in the south and west suburbs (I’m northwest). So…how’s the invasion by you? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/2 "2007-05-22T15:05:34Z")
_crickets chirping_ ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/3 "2007-05-22T15:28:15Z")
Haven’t seen any yet. We had cicadas in abundance every year when I lived in Seoul, so I suppose I’ll feel at home when the bastards appear, if nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/4 "2007-05-22T16:59:39Z")
Not yet…I’m wondering how many our tiny little backyard has in it. Ick. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/5 "2007-05-22T17:17:54Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] Not yet…I’m wondering how many our tiny little backyard has in it. Ick. [/QUOTE] Did you live in the area 17 years ago? Those little bastids were humping lawn mowers, thinking the engines were making a mating call. I’m so glad we didn’t get many. Hoping for more of the same this time. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/6 "2007-05-22T17:55:09Z")
I lived in Palatine back then, and honestly, I don’t remember them. I was 23 and living in an apartment, so that may be why, but my parents lived nearby in a house with a pretty big yard, so I don’t know how I missed them. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/7 "2007-05-22T18:04:16Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Seen any of those ugly little bastids yet? [/QUOTE] Nope. [QUOTE=NurseCarmen] _crickets chirping_ [/QUOTE] Nor those, neither! 😃 I was in Orland Park(ish) last time this brood hatched, and there was nothin’. Too much construction since the last 17 year mark meant most of the underground buggies were either killed or relocated into foundations. Now I’m up on the North side of Chicago, so we’ll see who’s survived up here. 'Though I’m going to be camping in Indiana this weekend and next, which sorta scares me. How far southeast is this brood? A few years ago, another cicada hatching happened while we were camping, and my crazy insane friend was catching them and tying strings around their middles and making cicada rattles with sticks and bugs. Weirdo. At least he wasn’t eating them. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/8 "2007-05-22T18:13:40Z")
Haven’t seen any - and I back up to a golf course. I’ll let you know. WhyNot - are you from the Orland area? I’m from Palos Park…I haven’t seen anyone from around that area in a long time! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/9 "2007-05-22T18:26:16Z")
[QUOTE=Missy2U] Haven’t seen any - and I back up to a golf course. I’ll let you know. WhyNot - are you from the Orland area? I’m from Palos Park…I haven’t seen anyone from around that area in a long time! 🙂 [/QUOTE] Born ‘n’ raised in Tinley, actually. Andrew high school class o’ '92. Hmm…from Palos Park, huh? Those were the snazzy rich folk with the big houses surrounded by fully grown trees. Not like those wannabes in the Hills or Heights, nevermind us trash from Tinley! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/10 "2007-05-22T18:46:56Z")
Nothing yet. 17 years ago I was in Lincoln Park, and saw few until I biked the North Channel bike path (goes through woods). 34 years ago, I was a kid in Park Ridge (old, tree-filled suburb) and saw thousands upon thousands. Am now in old Chicago neighborhood with housing mainly built in the early 1920s, with many mature trees, so I expect to see my share. But as I said, nothing yet. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/11 "2007-05-22T18:53:58Z")
I lived in Tinley Park last time. I was 5, I remember a bunch, but pretty vaguely. None so far this year, thank god. I deliver pizza now and my AC doesn’t work so I drive with the windows down, hopefully it doesn’t get ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/12 "2007-05-22T19:21:35Z")
During the last invasion I lived in the Oak Lawn area and remember tons of those alien looking buggers clinging to every available surface. You could feel the impact when one flew into you. My in-laws’ Irish Setter loved snacking on them. :eek: Now I’m southwest of Joliet in one of the many new subdivisions that replaced the farmers’ fields. I doubt I’ll hear any, let alone see them. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/13 "2007-05-23T00:53:44Z")
Nothing here yet, either. I live in an apartment, though, so I may miss them completely around home. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Understander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3da27b/32.png) [@The\_Understander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Understander)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/14 "2007-05-23T00:59:23Z")
Nothing yet in Arlington Heights, which is too bad, because ah’m hungry for some crickets sauteéd in garlic butter. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/15 "2007-05-23T01:15:52Z")
Here in Northern Virginia, we had the 17-year cicadas 3 summers ago, I think. It was crazy! They were everywhere, especially since I lived in an older neighborhood with ground that had been undisturbed for decades and lots of nice old trees. They all emerged from holes in the ground within a 2-day period, the would perch on blades of grass or twigs, shed their shell and emerge ready to fly. So after the third day, there were nickel-sized holes in the ground and discarded shells everywhere. Then for the next couple of weeks we were subjected to the constant drone of their buzzing. You had to be careful not to step on them unless you wanted a big crunch followed by a big splat. They would often fly into your windshield making a big mess. My cat really liked them. She would catch them and bring them inside as presents from me (alive). Those things sure were noisy. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/16 "2007-05-23T01:16:12Z")
My husband is a letter carrier, and he had one riding around on his shoulder for an hour today. He saw a teenage girl going “eww!” and trying to kill a couple of them with her flip-flop, so he scooped up one that was nearby and newly-emerged, and plopped it on his shoulder. He said it latched on and sat there quietly for about an hour as he walked around, then suddenly it let out that loud buzz and flew off. We also apparently have some around our big tree out front. ---
**Author:** ![Malienation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Malienation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malienation)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/17 "2007-05-23T01:34:08Z")
Have fun, Chicago. We did that here a coupla years ago, and lemme tell you they’re no picnic. They’re ugly and they smell. They’re slow, clumsy fliers and they’re phenomenally dumb even by insect standards. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/18 "2007-05-23T02:02:07Z")
I can remember these critters only from sometime in the 1950’s in Arlington VA. I haven’t seen them since. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/19 "2007-05-23T03:04:10Z")
Based on nyctea scandiaca’s post, I realize that I DO remember the cicadas…but not from 17 years ago, more like 34 years ago! In Palatine, our house was in a new development, with no mature trees, so it makes sense that I didn’t see them there 17 years ago. But before that, we lived in Arlington Heights, in an older neighborhood with lots of trees, and I remember the holes in the ground, and the shells. I was 6 years old then! ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084/20 "2007-05-23T03:41:20Z")
[QUOTE=Malienation] Have fun, Chicago. We did that here a coupla years ago, and lemme tell you they’re no picnic. They’re ugly and they smell. They’re slow, clumsy fliers and they’re phenomenally dumb even by insect standards. [/QUOTE] I don’t remember them smelling bad, but yes they are definitely dumb. They have no fear instinct and you can pick them up easily and they don’t seem to care. They are harmless and easy to catch, so they’re especially fun for kids and pets. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-area-dopers-seen-any-of-those-ugly-little-bastids-yet/405084.md?page=2)