Cicadas

Bryn Joynes, owner of Elite Pest and Lawn Solutions in Columbia, said he expects to receive phone calls in the coming weeks from residents wanting to get rid of the swarms of cicadas.Unfortunately, theres not much that can be done, he said.Joynes said hes not looking forward to mowing his lawn for the next month.Im going to be wearing a net over my head for a couple weeks while I mow, he said, noting cicadas are attracted to the vibration produced by a lawn mower because it mimics a cicada mating call.

Ill look stupid, but it beats getting hit in the head by a cicada wanting to mate with me.Hughes said once the cicadas have mated, females will lay 400-600 eggs by making slits in small twigs.People wanting to protect small trees or bushes should cover them using cheesecloth or other meshing, Hughes said.The cicadas will die off in four to six weeks and wont be heard from again until 2024

Source: http://www.c-dh.net/articles/2011/05/10/top_stories/01cicada.txt