The Hotter It Gets The Louder They Get…4 Tips To Quiet Cicadas In Minnesota

This is about the time of year you start to notice a loud noise during the day, and into the evening. That loud 'screaming' noise is a cicada, and they are back again this year. But if you are looking for some ways to lessen the noise, here are some tips to keep them away from your windows.

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Cicadas, as The Nature Conservancy states, are "a hallmark of these “dog days of summer” is the whining call of cicadas, a rising crescendo heard seemingly only during the hottest, most sweltering moments of the afternoon." The noise emitted by these bugs comes from a "membrane" on the back of the male insect that bends and creates the noise we hear.

If you are looking for some relief from the loud insect here are some tips that you might find helpful.

• Spraying water on them. Cicadas, if you can find them, like sunny dry places, so if you spray the area where they seem to congregate to sing their mating songs, you might get some relief. Another way to keep them at bay, keep your lawn watered, if you can, having a 'damp' lawn will keep the cicadas away.
• Cover your trees and shrubs. Cicadas will mate and lay their eggs in trees, which will then fall to the ground and burrow into the soil until they are ready to emerge and continue the cycle. Making your trees and shrubs unwelcoming by covering them with netting will discourage the cicada from stopping.
• Pour vinegar. According to QuietHome.Life "Spray the vinegar on grass and trees, where cicadas mostly settle. Vinegar is highly effective in killing baby cicadas and nymphs. Vinegar is acidic, but not harmful to people and pets. The only downside to using vinegar is that it affects the plant condition as well.  Excessive use of vinegar on plants and trees might destroy them completely."
• White Noise Machine. While this is a little over the top, you might find it useful even after the cicada's stop.

You can learn more about cicadas, their life cycles, and other things by heading here.

H/T QuiteHome.Life for some of the tips.