Seventeen year locusts - yeah, i know they're not really locusts, and are called by some fancy science name ... but anyway, just by listening...

had noticed, they started coming out in late May.  Make alot of noise, no problem.  Early this month, began hearing - once in a while - what sounds like a small drill.  Hhmm, was thinking maybe one of the locusts had just gotten back from the hard-ware store, and had to show his buddies.  It wasn't until a few days later, and the "drilling" becoming more frequent, did it occure to my great scientific mind :), that the drilling is coming from the female locust.  Could be wrong, but i think, when she lays her eggs upon a branch, she doesn't want them to slide off when a storm comes and the wind picks up.

Another thing i was wondering about is.  Do female "locusts" lay more than one batch of eggs, or does she hold off drilling, until she has been able to do the deed with several males?  Yeah, sounds skanky, but locusts aren't people; if they're having an ongoing orgy up there in the trees - and maybe they're having a really good time - but whatever the case, they're having super-sex (i guess) for one reason only.

Yep, to make little locusts, who will hatch from their eggs, in about three weeks; some of them will manage to evade predators, make it off the tree, and to the ground, where these youngins will dig in and down about ten-ish feet, find a tree root and live off the root's moisture and nutrients for the next seventeen years - that is, if some sort of underground predator doesn't get 'em.  So, the ones that don't end up as something's supper, come mid to late May, will surface, climb/fly to the trees - and ppaaar-tah.

So, i guess the party is soon to wind down, because i've been hearing more drilling going on.  Per previous cycles, had noticed they were about gone by early July.  

Btw, source is:  google.