Cicada Summer in Tennessee
One Dog Owner’s Experience of a 13-year brood.
I was expecting to be somewhat grossed out by the cicadas. Yes, I know they are harmless, bumbling insects. I’m appreciative of the harmless. It’s just the bumbling that makes my skin crawl. I suppose a person can get used to being struck by insects the size of one’s thumb.
I prefer to stay indoors.
Their sheer numbers are revolting. More revolting yet is the fact that my sweet little 13-pound miniature dachshund, Havarti, has taken to grazing the buffet at every opportunity. This girl is out there living her best life, hunting the crunchy little nuggets of protein and exercising no restraint.
The internet suggests that these relatives of crustaceans taste like shrimp.
The internet suggests moderation is key for dogs who develop a taste for cicadas.
The internet suggests removing cicadas from your yard before letting your dogs out.
The internet is full of advice. That doesn’t make it practical.
I’m curious how the internet would suggest removing the estimated 250,000 cicadas that are set to occupy my 1/4 acre lot. I doubt harvesting methods from the shrimp industry would apply, what with the lack of water and the trees.
No, I would not be removing a single cicada from the yard. Instead, I opted for a live-and-let-live attitude. Within a week of grazing, it appeared Havarti’s appetite was already waning. Delightful.
She’s a clever creature after all, no need for concern.
Last night, I found out how wrong I was. It’s the wings, you see.
They’re difficult to digest.
In the past 12 hours, I have:
Washed the comforter.
Washed the blankets.
Washed the towels.
Washed the rug.
Cleaned up 8 puddles of wing-flecked vomit.
Almost created a 9th pile myself.
Developed a serious distaste for shrimp.
As the last load of laundry tumbles in the dryer and the breeze from the open window clears away the stench, the patient is resting peacefully, most likely none the wiser about the cause of her intestinal distress. The breeze also brings the incessant hum of wings, though.
Cicada Summer has just begun.
While I can’t fathom what it would take to remove them from my yard, I can see how perhaps keeping the dog on a leash might not be the worst idea.
