Rick
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17-Year Cicadas on the Trail and other tales of insects
I was out hiking one of my last sections of the AT in PA near Duncannon on Sunday and saw my first signs of the 17 year Brood 'X' Cicadas.
17 Year Cicadas
As I got closer to the Susquehanna and lower elevation, I could hear a constant humming in the background. I started walking through an Oak Forest. I kept noticing numerous small holes straight into the ground, as if someone jammed a pencil in the dirt.
While I was standing at the next bunch of 30-40 holes I happened to look up rather than down at the holes - Looking at the trees, I counted 24 large brown cicada shells attached to the trees.
I remember playing with these as a youngster.
As I walked along, I noticed more and more of these shells on the trees. I have to admit it we pretty cool and at times a little freaky to see so many holes in the ground and so many shells.
I also got a chance to see a couple of cicadas in flight - Huge, Yellow & Black and ugly.
It reminds me of hiking the Susquehannock Trail in the early 90's when there was a population boom (and then a subesequent crash?) of 'Elm-Span Worms' The are huge green tent caterpillars and they defoliated most of the trees, killing many.
You could not hike along the trail without a large stick in front of you to swish away the webs and dangling worms. We were constantly picking little worms off everyone's backpacks as we hiked. I do not want to hike through these things again.
Elm Span Worm Life
Another year, '98 I think, there was a boom of gypsy moths or perhaps just the adult Elm Span Worm Moths. - millions of these things - pass the day hiding in tree bark and come out in the evening. They alighted on everything and in the shine of the headlight, their tiny eyes would glow bright yellow/green - There were hundreds sitting on each tent and everywhere we had wet clothes hanging to dry, there were thousands - It was our guess they were attracted to the salt in our sweaty clothes. They caused no harm, but they again, were a little freaky.
Anybody else experience any freakish outburst of insects like this ??
Cheers
PS: Although these aren't my photos, here is link to some very freakish potos showing the outbreak in Maryland. Don't look at these if you are squeamish about insects.....
Cicada Swarms
I was out hiking one of my last sections of the AT in PA near Duncannon on Sunday and saw my first signs of the 17 year Brood 'X' Cicadas.
17 Year Cicadas
As I got closer to the Susquehanna and lower elevation, I could hear a constant humming in the background. I started walking through an Oak Forest. I kept noticing numerous small holes straight into the ground, as if someone jammed a pencil in the dirt.
While I was standing at the next bunch of 30-40 holes I happened to look up rather than down at the holes - Looking at the trees, I counted 24 large brown cicada shells attached to the trees.
I remember playing with these as a youngster.
As I walked along, I noticed more and more of these shells on the trees. I have to admit it we pretty cool and at times a little freaky to see so many holes in the ground and so many shells.
I also got a chance to see a couple of cicadas in flight - Huge, Yellow & Black and ugly.
It reminds me of hiking the Susquehannock Trail in the early 90's when there was a population boom (and then a subesequent crash?) of 'Elm-Span Worms' The are huge green tent caterpillars and they defoliated most of the trees, killing many.
You could not hike along the trail without a large stick in front of you to swish away the webs and dangling worms. We were constantly picking little worms off everyone's backpacks as we hiked. I do not want to hike through these things again.
Elm Span Worm Life
Another year, '98 I think, there was a boom of gypsy moths or perhaps just the adult Elm Span Worm Moths. - millions of these things - pass the day hiding in tree bark and come out in the evening. They alighted on everything and in the shine of the headlight, their tiny eyes would glow bright yellow/green - There were hundreds sitting on each tent and everywhere we had wet clothes hanging to dry, there were thousands - It was our guess they were attracted to the salt in our sweaty clothes. They caused no harm, but they again, were a little freaky.
Anybody else experience any freakish outburst of insects like this ??
Cheers
PS: Although these aren't my photos, here is link to some very freakish potos showing the outbreak in Maryland. Don't look at these if you are squeamish about insects.....
Cicada Swarms
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