The official sound of summer

The buzzing has been going for over a month now.  Semis, or cicadas, are singing their mating call.  To me, it sounds like static on the radio being played at full blast.  My son thinks it is a fun sound that indicates bugs are near.  Most Japanese people will tell you the "chirping" sounds like summer.  Many people believe that summer doesn't really begin until you hear their song.  They were already singing when we arrived here last year.  They shout for attention from mid July to early September each year.

No matter what you think it sounds like, there is no doubting it is very loud.  Any time you are near a tree, you can hear the buzzing.  There are times when I can't even hear myself think.  And I think that says a lot since I'm the mother of a 5 year old!  I read somewhere that the reason cicadas don’t annoy themselves with their music is because they can “switch off” their hearing.  There are times that I am so jealous of this.

The sound isn't the only sign of their presence.  We are seeing their exoskeletons all over the place.  Their "shells" are hanging from tree trunks, laying on the ground, and even grabbing onto screen doors.  I find it disgusting.  They are everywhere!

The semi living in Japan are Tanna Japonesis or evening cicada (although you can hear them all day!).  Adults are approximately one inch (females) to one and a half inches (males) long.  The larva live underground for up to 17 years before emerging for a short, week long adulthood, where their entire being is focused on one thing - reproduction.  That's why they sing so loudly.  They want someone to love and they want it now.

Thank goodness for small favors, but my son hasn't gotten his hands on a live one.  He wants to bring home all the bugs and I am not going to have one of these noise machines in our house for one minute.  It's bad enough they are everywhere else!