I don’t think I’ve never heard any cicadas at all in summer, but their numbers vary greatly year to year. I’ve heard some so far, but not many. Maybe a bit too early, not sure.

When was that year when there were so many you couldn’t hear yourself think? It’s a 7 year cycle isn’t it?

Cicadas have complicated cycles to stop predators gathering when they’d come out.

It varies all over the place:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada

I remember as a kid growing up in bega you could not move for the things every summer have seen nothing like that in Canberra

I remember they were everywhere in the early nineties, 92 maybe? The trees looked black they were covered in so many layers of them and the sound was deafening.

johnboy said :

Cicadas have complicated cycles to stop predators gathering when they’d come out.

It varies all over the place:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada

I think you read that too fast. It says that they have LONG cycles so they can outlive their predators. The length of the cycle depends on the species and perhaps the location. For the common greengrocer, it is 6 to 7 years. And is the loudest insect in the world. I love ‘em. Such a summer sound. Though it can get a tad too intense at times.

Plenty of them around the ANU campus at the moment, and they make such a wonderful noise on hot days like we had last week.

2003-2004 was the last time I remember them…We where living in Curtin at the time, and all summer long it was pretty deafening. (That said I didn’t really mind the noise)

I was only thinking this a couple of days ago, when riding around the lake and hearing quite a few towards the dam. I’ve been hearing a lot more in the last couple of weeks than I can remember hearing for years in Canberra.

I heard a few in Wanniassa on the hotter evenings a couple of weeks back.
I love cicadas, the sound of summer!

thatsnotme said :

I was only thinking this a couple of days ago, when riding around the lake and hearing quite a few towards the dam. I’ve been hearing a lot more in the last couple of weeks than I can remember hearing for years in Canberra.

Same, last lap of LBG I did I heard them while riding up the the lookout on with the chair that looks out over government house.

Loved it, if it warms up they should crank up again bur as 460cixy said, they are not like down the coast. They used to be everywhere in Pambula.

460cixy said :

I remember as a kid growing up in bega

That explains a lot…………

KB1971 said :

460cixy said :

I remember as a kid growing up in bega

That explains a lot…………

I see. So that’s how you roll hey.

I spent a lot of time hanging around Bega getting myself in trouble. Still have a lot of mates I catch up with occasionally.

KB1971 said :

I spent a lot of time hanging around Bega getting myself in trouble. Still have a lot of mates I catch up with occasionally.

I try to avoid it but go down once a year or so to poke holes in the deer population around brogo

Mr Evil said :

Plenty of them around the ANU campus at the moment, and they make such a wonderful noise on hot days like we had last week.

The Fellows Lawn behind University House was loud with their wonderful song. I’ve never heard them like that in Canberra. When I was growing up in Sydney they were the sound of summer, and I’ve missed it ever since I moved here.

johnboy said :

Cicadas have complicated cycles to stop predators gathering when they’d come out.

It varies all over the place:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada

Is that what is called the “cicadian rhythm” JB?

460cixy said :

KB1971 said :

I spent a lot of time hanging around Bega getting myself in trouble. Still have a lot of mates I catch up with occasionally.

I try to avoid it but go down once a year or so to poke holes in the deer population around brogo

Great campsite up the back.

Have not camped at the one off the main dam road (4WD only, go straight ahead at the sharp right hand bend in the road).

KB1971 said :

460cixy said :

KB1971 said :

I spent a lot of time hanging around Bega getting myself in trouble. Still have a lot of mates I catch up with occasionally.

I try to avoid it but go down once a year or so to poke holes in the deer population around brogo

Great campsite up the back.

Have not camped at the one off the main dam road (4WD only, go straight ahead at the sharp right hand bend in the road).

Some good tracks in there and plenty yellow belly and eels to catch in the dam