Since 1987, whenever I drive by trees along highways in June even if they are not areas where Periodical Cicadas live I am brought back to the memories of those days. So after two years here is the recap of my trips to see Brood X(10) of the Seventeen Year Cicada.
The 2021 emergence of the largest brood of the 17 year Cicada is perhaps the last time I would be able to see Brood X, as I visited all the places I previously visited in 1987 and 2004. This year I got to be in the middle for hours and a weekend during the peak in Cincinnati area. As an outsider, I was a visitor and did not have to put up with there sound 24 /7 for four weeks. However I witnessed
all aspects that I wanted to experience and discover in the population I visited in Sharonville, Ohio near the epicenter of Cincinnati, Ohio.
I did NOT hear them at obnoxious levels of sound all night. Some sporadically
buzzed or made noise well into the night. The next morning also heard them sporadically warming up.
By the afternoon the sound ramped up to being so loud and constant in places that I had to wear earplugs.
They were singing, crawling, mating, mating while crawling, and flying. Singing in waves of sound from the tops of trees. They flew on to my wife Barb, on a car tire and one got into the car. They were on walls, poles, cars, shrubs, trees, grass blades and on the dog. The discarded shells were stuck to everything and in piles under the trees.
They were in tree clumps at the edge of the highway and between the highway clover leaves. In places not expected because things like buildings and highways were built where the underground nymphs lived. With no way to move during construction the survivors came out to do their stuff anyway, where ever it took them. For those who did not get to experience it, I have a list of videos below of all aspects I saw and heard.
I have read Dr. Gene Kritsky’s book on the history of Periodical Cicadas – The Plague and the Puzzle. It didn’t give me info I personally wanted to know or witness but it still had so much cool and historical observations from people who encountered them in their lives and travels all those centuries ago..
In 1987 I was able to see the population in Northwest Ohio at Ayersville on State Route 15 a population that was not on agriculture and state extension service maps in 1987 and 2004. And because of Dr. Kritsky’s Cicada Safari app, in 2021, that location and others in Ohio are now officially on the map for Brood X. He had such a response to his Cicada Safari app for civilian documentation of the emerging cicadas, it was just amazing at 125,000 downloads. More info at this link:
https://www.msj.edu/news/2021/05/cicada-safari-app-reaches-120000-downloads.html
Since I didn’t know anything about them in 1987, except the things I read were that they sang 24 hours and flew everywhere. In 2004 I had a date of which they were to start coming out of the ground from 1987 data -May 18, so I reserved a campsite at Powell campground for those days. Fully expecting to see one day nothing happening and the next day thousands and a full chorus. Guess what I found? : the holes everywhere but barely a trickle. Maybe a dozen adult cicadas seen along the walking route I took. Three weeks later at the same place thousands clinging to every house, fence, tree, shrub. Although they were NOT flying around in the numbers expected. I have video but it’s on a DVD or a VHS tape. I hope to get some videos online as soon as I can.
In 2004, I was fully expecting to visit other new areas, but family vacation in Florida precluded that. However we DID pass through all the areas where they were, but it was after dark- we drove all night on June 11-12 and 19-20, so we didn’t encounter the cicadas. And the Florida location, Orlando, was not a Periodical Cicada brood habitat.
I did find a new place the maps showed was in the Ann Arbor, Michigan. However they were barely still alive when I visited near the end of June on the 25th. In 2021, I did visit the area and found the cicadas alive and well on June 25.
Periodical Cicada Dates Brood X (largest) I Visited.
1987
June 7, 1987 Bellefontaine, Ohio Rt 68, full chorus
June 18, 1987 Ayersville, Ohio Rt 15, full chorus
June 21, 1987 Bellefontaine, Ohio Rt 68, dying
2004
May 18, – 20, 2004 Ayersville, Ohio campground, barely out of ground
May 29, 2004 Ayersville, Ohio w/Deb Briner, full chorus
June 25, 2004 Ann Arbor garden / preserve, mostly dead
July 4-10, 2004 Pioneer Scout Reservation, dead, remains and broken twigs with eggs.
2021
May 22, 2021 Ayersville, Ohio w/ Barb, further along than May 18, 2004, not singing though
May 29, 2021 Ayersville, Ohio and Pioneer, Ohio Scout Reservation windy, cold, more emerged, not singing.
May 31, 2021 Pokagon State Peak, Indiana and Pioner Scout Camp. Lots emerged but not singing
June 4 -6 Bellefontaine, Ohio on way to Cincinnati, Sharonville, Fairfield and Kentucky, in the heart of it all, full chorus
June 13, 2021 Ayersville, Ohio area Potter Road like 1987.
June 20, 2021 Pioneer Scout Reservation, Ohio w/Dave Lovell. full chorus
June 25, 2021 Ann Arbor, Michigan, Cherry Hill Nature Preserve chorus still going on, less volume.
July 25, 2021 Springdale, Ohio, holes and shells aftermath.
1987 Visits
June 7: Drive south on I75 turn around at Piqua/Urbana Exit found them on Route 68 near Bellefontaine, Ohio
June 18: Visit population Ext. Service said was on Route 15 near Ayersville, Ohio
June 21: revisit Route 68 near Bellefontaine
2004 Visits.
May 18, to 20: Camped at Camp Powell, Ayersville, Ohio
May 29: Ayersville w/ friend Deb
June 11-12 and 19-20 : drove through all areas after dark to and from Florida.
June 25: Ann arbor area
Video list:
1987 Ayersville, Ohio
June 18.
https://youtu.be/N1Cy1rb9Ldw
Pt. 1
https://youtu.be/E3pvexr3900
Pt. 2
https://youtu.be/GkV7mF9tkfQ
Pt. 3
https://youtu.be/YdpTh6VcwJ8
Pt. 4
https://youtu.be/Su1MtdjYOiM
Pt. 5
https://youtu.be/AOjO-1iQkfg
Pt. 6
https://youtu.be/5FJOs8VS5lY
1987 Bellefontaine, Ohio
June 7
Pt. 1
https://youtu.be/rbyphrOkIk0
Pt. 2
https://youtu.be/QTV5nbArEjo
The following list is of the YouTube videos taken in order of the 2021 Periodical Cicada trips:
1. 2021 Ayersville, Ohio. May 22.
https://youtu.be/lfD166f9B0I
2. 2021 Ayersville, Ohio. May 27.
https://youtu.be/S1R1CReFsRY
3. 2021 Pioneer Scout Reservation Ohio. May 31.
https://youtu.be/f9lgkuaSEsg
3a. 2021. Pioneer SR
https://youtu.be/r4EB2L9WrpQ
4. 2021 Camp Wesley. June 4.
https://youtu.be/fG2x4F46gxM
4a. 2021. Camp Wesley
https://youtu.be/r6vvOjvTAaQ
4b. 2021. Camp Wesley
https://youtu.be/f5uIfQ2rNnM
4c. Camp Wesley
https://youtu.be/EEUxGLUJyJQ
5. 2021 McDonalds and Sharonville. June 4
https://youtu.be/SgiVvJMO4HM
6. 2021 Route 68 to Cincinnati. June 4.
https://youtu.be/JjmnQOG7c-8
7. 2021 June 4,5 Sharonville, Ohio
Stayed at La Quinta Hotel. All of No. 7 videos are in Sharonville, Ohio
https://youtu.be/geFM44-G8Ms
7a. Daylight parking lot.
https://youtu.be/W3Rjm2PaLV8
7b. Daylight, more parking lot
https://youtu.be/d_LN8XUVgZg
7c. Corner near highway. Loud, wearing earplugs.
https://youtu.be/PNy5l_ESTyk
7d. Evening, in parking lot
https://youtu.be/gm_l4F0xWa0
7e. Tree in parking lot island.
https://youtube.com/shorts/-OIEsCmlsks?feature=share3
7f. Daylight Parking Lot.
https://youtu.be/HDVgqNsxn5I
7g. Evening. Robins and singing Cicadas.
https://youtu.be/Q6r_Sb1ZTz4
7h. Parking lot pole.
https://youtu.be/8pRkv3ymxb8
7i. Driving with cicada on outside of car.
https://youtu.be/_R2-uvI5LPw
7j. 9 AM warming up .
https://youtu.be/EvkEBWaBcrQ
7k. After Dark: Robins Cicadas resting for the night.
https://youtu.be/dMPnQIuMsQA
7l. Daylight , Several mating pairs on tree.
https://youtube.com/shorts/oGdzEQ4HISo?feature=share3
7m. After Dark. Mating pairs on ground.
https://youtube.com/shorts/RK5UdNkXNgU?feature=share3
8. 2021 Fairfield, Ohio June 5.
https://youtu.be/7I8A7LqQ9Ec
9. 2021 Fairfield, Ohio June 5.
https://youtu.be/WLMe96FkVqQ
No videos listed for 10, 11, and 12.
13. 2021 Ayersville, Ohio. June 13, 2nd visit. Porter Road
https://youtu.be/ByTmXwgkjvc
14. 2021 Ayersville, Ohio June 13
Dog walking along road
https://youtu.be/v5-AloSxh8A
15. 2021 Ayersville, Ohio June 13, Driving
https://youtu.be/3hV2oeF7gng
16a. 2021 Pioneer Scout Reservation 2nd visit June 20.
https://youtu.be/ODgABSWdF0Y
16b. 2021 Pioneer SR June 20 visit
https://youtu.be/fcwgOc3tqao
16c. 2021 Second visit
https://youtu.be/Qb4NG3nWm-Q
This entry is related to this second visit video above. Periodical cicada 2021 update: In July 2004 our scout troop was at Camp Frontier near Pioneer, Ohio.
The cicadas were done by then and all I saw was the dead decaying carcasses, wings, shedded skins and the damaged twigs and branches that eggs were laid in.
So on my cicada bucket list this year ,2021, was to visit the camp while they were in full chorus. On June 20, I had the chance, with my brother Dave visiting for a few days.
It turns out it was opening week of summer camp. With permission we were able to check them out and document for the Cicada Safari app map. I advised the nature director there about documenting them with the app. She said she would. There wasn’t alot flying around in the immediate area but there was a constant drone in the distant along the whole route we took. Gave my brother a tour of the camp too. One of these photos is my first close up of the egg slits on a twig.
17. 2021. Ann Arbor, Michigan June 25, 2021
Pt. 1.
https://youtu.be/wwy39402Rxk
Pt. 2.
https://youtu.be/Xgf-yySwHZI
Pt. 3.
https://youtu.be/Fss9JqvCxZw
Videos of Maps:
No. 1. https://youtu.be/2iPK3KE2aRw Ayersville ,Ohio
No. 2. https://youtu.be/q2TLBiJU1bg Cincinatti and Bellefontaine, Ohio
No. 3 https://youtu.be/jN8noWLud9U Ann Arbor, Michigan
See link for more info.
1995 Article:
https://unusualperspectivesbyme.wordpress.com/2020/10/10/thoughts-on-the-17-year-cicada/
2021 Article:
https://unusualperspectivesbyme.wordpress.com/2021/01/30/2021-periodical-cicada-brood-x/
and photos from
2004 Brood with many other critters and sites found along the way at both Ayersville ,Ohio and Camp Pioneer: X:https://www.flickr.com/gp/glovell2008/p 9P5x4y09j
Gary Lovell
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Unusual Perspectives 