Brace yourself… the cicadas are coming. After 17 years underground trillions of the most annoying bug on the planet are about to resurface and torture all of us. You know the ones, they look gross and make that crazy sound.
The cicada is actually singing when it makes the noise. Their internal tymbal muscles contract causing the membranes to buckle inward to produce that distinct sound. They usually do their singing in the heat of the day which is why you notice it more in the summer. The reason they do it is to mate, but also the volume of the noise repels birds. So it’s kind of a safety tactic too.
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