Did you know?

What's all that buzzing you hear? It may be cicadas!

Have you ever heard of an insect that only comes out of the ground every 13 years? Periodical cicadas stay in the ground for years at a time, nourishing themselves by eating sap from roots. These cicadas are back and buzzing again this year, invading much of the Midwest and the southeast United States.

Cicadas make a loud buzzing sound when they are mating. Some scientists say that periodical cicadas are among the loudest insects in the world. The sound of thousands of cicadas buzzing may be as loud as a gas lawnmower or a motorcycle!

Many people are fascinated by these mysterious creatures. After spending many years underground, they crawl to the surface, mate, lay eggs, and then die—all within a six-week period.

People who live in the city are less likely to see or hear these insects because cicadas prefer trees, shrubs, and soil. Their loud buzz will be a noisy nuisance to many rural and suburban towns this season.

This 9-year-old boy is a cicada enthusiast:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/02/earlyshow/main20068281.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Learn more about cicadas here:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/03/14/1052248/whats-all-that-noise-cicadas.html

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