The Hunt Begins as the Summer Sun Sets

	We live in an older suburb near Chicago, Illinois, USA. By day our neighborhood seems pretty ordinary, with tall elm trees and narrow lawns. But on August evenings, a special thing happens -- cicada nymphs crawl out of their holes and look for a place to climb.

The young cicadas have lived for years
underground, sucking sap from tree roots.
Now, they will grow into adults overnight.

Three-year-old Aaron and five-year-old Ethan
search the sidewalks and short grass, where
there is no place for the nymphs to hide.

Some nymphs find a tree, or weed,
or wall, and climb to safety.

But Aaron and Ethan have sharp eyes!

So, some cicada nymphs spend the night
in big plastic jars on our front porch. Each
jar holds only one or two large sticks.
There will be plenty of room for what
happens next.

NEXT: See what happens during the night

Hunt

Find

Solve

Link

Home

Cicada Hunt! is part of the Salt the Sandbox Web.
For more information visit the Salt the Sandbox home page.

This page was created on August 26, 2000, and it was last updated on July 27, 2002.