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Name:  Susan
Status:  other
Age:  5
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2000-2001
Question:
I'm a stay at home mom and yesterday, while with my three year old son, we heard locusts up in the trees. It was the first time in his life he had heard this sound and it really startled him! In order to alleviate his fears, I attempted to explain what I knew about locusts, which was of course, not much. I told him what they were and that they made loud sounds, they were benign to people, and they left crunchy outer shells stuck to trees when they died, but that is the extent of my very limited knowledge. I told him we would try and find out why and how they make such a loud noise and get any other general (in 3 year old terms) information that may help him be less afraid. Can you please help?

Replies:
Here are some web sites that can give you some interesting information about cicadas:

http://www.entoprise.com/answers/cicada_page.shtml

http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?ti=068A0000

http://www.insects.org/ced3/cicada_chfolk.html

http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/Michigan_Cicadas/

Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D.
Assistant Director
PG Research Foundation, Darien, Illinois

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