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 Cicada mulch anyone?
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Author Garden Gate: Previous Topic Cicada mulch anyone? Next Topic  

City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl

1402 Posts

Deb
Chattanooga TN
USA
1402 Posts

Posted - Jun 06 2007 :  04:17:24 AM  Show Profile
Here in the Chicago area we've been infested with the 17 year cicadas. They're starting to die off now. (Music to my ears! Since the sound has been deafening!)

Has anyone ever used them as mulch for their gardens. We have thousands of them!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,--
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
Dorothy Frances Gurney

Mikki
True Blue Farmgirl

1510 Posts

Mikki
Austin Indiana
USA
1510 Posts

Posted - Jun 06 2007 :  08:50:48 AM  Show Profile
Hmmm never thought about that? Sounds interesting, I think, lol. I hate those nasty things!

~~Blessings, Mikki Jo

www.mikkijo.etsy.com

http://burningmeadowsprings.blogspot.com/
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl

4439 Posts

Kay
Vancouver WA
USA
4439 Posts

Posted - Jun 06 2007 :  10:31:55 AM  Show Profile
I know that they are a nuisance but I sure do love listening to them. It's one of the sounds that makes me homesick for IL. We used to play with the shells when we were kids.

Visit my Etsy shop at http://therusticcottage.etsy.com

http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com
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Huckelberrywine
True Blue Farmgirl

1607 Posts

Michelle
Rosalia
1607 Posts

Posted - Jun 06 2007 :  4:31:55 PM  Show Profile
Bleah! :) Okay, I did see a nature show about how excellent they are at enriching the forests where they do this. You are a braver Farmgal than me. Okay, maybe I would, but I'd probably cover their corpes with something else too. ;)

We make a difference.
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl

1402 Posts

Deb
Chattanooga TN
USA
1402 Posts

Posted - Jun 26 2007 :  05:12:04 AM  Show Profile
Well, I went to California for 17 days and wasn't able to "harvest" the dead cicadas to use for my mulch. I could probably have shoveled them off of the street & sidewalks from what my dh told me. There were so many of them.

They were just starting to die off when I left - I can still hear some of them, but not like before. Hubby did till some of them into the garden, but not like I had wanted to.

It was unreal how many we had here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,--
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
Dorothy Frances Gurney
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl

4739 Posts

Dawn
Naperville Illinois
USA
4739 Posts

Posted - Jun 26 2007 :  07:12:20 AM  Show Profile
I have read that cicadas are suppose to be excellent fertilizer. We had them by the millions here in Homer Glen. They were so loud that the only way you could talk to someone outside was to shout. I for one am glad they're dying out now. I can't wait to be able to hear the birds again!

I have tons of dead bodies all over my flower beds and yard. I plan to rake them up and put them in my compost heap. They do smell awful though, so I have to bury them deep in the pile. A job I'm not looking forward too!

Dawn in IL
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl

1402 Posts

Deb
Chattanooga TN
USA
1402 Posts

Posted - Jun 26 2007 :  07:58:52 AM  Show Profile
I know what you mean about talking! I told people it was like carrying on a conversation while holding a running blender.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,--
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
Dorothy Frances Gurney
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl

1547 Posts

Angie
Buckley WA
USA
1547 Posts

Posted - Jun 26 2007 :  08:30:59 AM  Show Profile
Wow. Something I haven't experienced.



Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth!
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl

22941 Posts

Alee
Worland Wy
USA
22941 Posts

Posted - Jun 26 2007 :  10:51:03 AM  Show Profile  Send Alee a Yahoo! Message
I don't think we have those types of Cicadas around here. I am really thankful for that! It doesn't sound like a pleasant experience at all! At least you ladies are doing your best to find a way to make good out of it!

Alee

The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora!
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MullersLaneFarm
True Blue Farmgirl

596 Posts


Rock Falls IL
596 Posts

Posted - Jun 26 2007 :  10:56:34 AM  Show Profile
We kept waiting for them to appear. We're only about 150 west of you City Chick. Seems we were blessed not to have them.

Cyndi
Muller's Lane Farm http://www.mullerslanefarm.com
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl

1402 Posts

Deb
Chattanooga TN
USA
1402 Posts

Posted - Jun 29 2007 :  05:16:04 AM  Show Profile
We were in Oregon, IL a few weeks ago and didn't hear any! Very strange.

My parents live 20 minutes from me and didn't have any either. My children imported some to their yard so they would have some in 17 years!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,--
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
Dorothy Frances Gurney
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl

22941 Posts

Alee
Worland Wy
USA
22941 Posts

Posted - Jun 29 2007 :  10:13:26 AM  Show Profile  Send Alee a Yahoo! Message
Oh my! ROFL!!

Alee

The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora!
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Patsy
True Blue Farmgirl

592 Posts


Illinois
USA
592 Posts

Posted - Jun 29 2007 :  10:35:08 AM  Show Profile
I live about 180 miles south of Chicago and we had them two years ago. They were awful.. Nasty redeyed, bugeyed hard shelled creatures. So we will have them again in 15 years. Too soon for me. They were so bad one of my neighbors used to use an umbrella to get into her car.

When I would try to mow, I had on a big straw hat and it was covered with them. They even flew down the front of my blouse. I did a dance and said bad words. Lol.

May God bless those who love the soil,

Patsy

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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl

22941 Posts

Alee
Worland Wy
USA
22941 Posts

Posted - Jun 29 2007 :  11:53:41 AM  Show Profile  Send Alee a Yahoo! Message
Sounds like you needed one of those beekeeper suits!!

Alee

The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora!
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl

1262 Posts

Rhonda

USA
1262 Posts

Posted - Jun 29 2007 :  9:20:32 PM  Show Profile
Hi Deb, I'm near Chicago too. I had a friend recently married in an outdoor ceremony. Mother of the bride suggested they rent a chocolate fountain, for dipping...CICADAS! She was heard to say "Well, they ARE a great source of protein"!

I think I'd rather mulch with the little boogers!

I'm a one girl revolution.
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl

1402 Posts

Deb
Chattanooga TN
USA
1402 Posts

Posted - Jul 02 2007 :  05:21:00 AM  Show Profile
quote:
Mother of the bride suggested they rent a chocolate fountain, for dipping...CICADAS!
Double

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,--
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
Dorothy Frances Gurney
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