Heaps up in Auckland now, but they were late and fewer. A poor season seven years ago I suspect. That and the soil temps a bit slow to warm up to their trigger level.
via356,
Mar 11, 4:42pm
Heaps here too. And then the crickets arrived, so now we have an orchestra in the garden. I'd actually forgotten that crickets sing too.
tigra,
Mar 11, 4:46pm
I am presuming that the strong winds we have been experiencing have had something to do with it. (Stronger than normal)
koru67,
Mar 11, 5:12pm
Yes, a lot of plants in our garden seem slow this year. I can hear lots of cicadas as I type this, and it is a glorious sunny day.
thistle4,
Mar 11, 5:34pm
I'm in Stokes Valley and we have them
redhead96,
Mar 11, 7:35pm
One is too many for me. Cicada population goes in cycles. We are finding not many flies.
lythande1,
Mar 11, 7:57pm
Yes, they are just late this year. The irritating racket started a month ago here.
kay141,
Mar 11, 8:12pm
I haven't heard them in the Hutt, either but have found a few bodies, not empty shells, in the garden. Very seldom have a problem with flies. Daddy-long-legs and spiders abound here. They make webs everywhere but, perhaps, they keep the flies down.
ralta,
Mar 11, 8:52pm
We have heaps of them here in West Auckland. I can't stand them - esp when one of our silly cats insists on bring them into the kitchen then dropping them so that they fly about the room freaking myself & my daughter out.
tigra,
Mar 11, 10:55pm
My cat just chews them up. Like kay141 there are a few bodies around outside but no irritating noise
skyblue17,
Mar 11, 11:02pm
Very few paper wasps too
zak410,
Mar 11, 11:38pm
Many here in Northland, best time of year for tinnitus sufferers.
survivalkiwi,
Mar 12, 12:07am
We have them in Blenheim. First time I have had them at our house
oh_hunnihunni,
Mar 12, 12:30am
You guys'd hate the ones we had in Melbourne. Lime green and three times the size of our wee black ones. Stunning bugs - and loud! You couldn't talk to each other under the laburnum trees when they were calling.
budgel,
Mar 12, 4:37pm
I was going to make a similar remark.
buzzy110,
Mar 12, 8:33pm
Very few in my part of Auckland but I just adore standing outside in the cool of the evening listening to the crickets. It is wonderful.
budgel,
Mar 13, 12:16am
Here in Kaitaia there have been lots.
coop19,
Mar 13, 4:10am
Not many cicadas in our part of the Waikato this year because of the dry. Cycles aside they need rain to soften the top layers of soil so they can dig their way out. Now we are getting the rain at last we may get the survivors if there is a bit of heat to follow. Very few paper wasps either but have seen a lot of the new English wasps. Look like a very fast and stumpy German wasp and are very scrappy with each other. I believe they pack the same wallop too. Not as many crickets either.
christin,
Mar 13, 4:38am
had a few up here!
one of my cats brings them in. Making the noise that they do from inside her mouth. ugh!
i usually rescue them and flick them outside, but they dont shut up (stupid things) and then shes after them again!
jaygee1962,
Mar 13, 5:07pm
We're had heaps here just out of Hamilton, listening to a chorus of them as I type even.
kay141,
Mar 13, 7:33pm
That could explain it. Rain has been in very short supply since Xmas. Not sure about the wasps but the bees have been more numerous than previous years. Like the rain, still not enough.
coop19,
Apr 12, 4:27am
Re English wasps in my last post. On googling further I find that the wasps I have recently noticed are not English wasps at all, nor are they even wasps apparently, but Wool Carder Bees. Look like miniature G wasps and are always fighting each other. This is actually mentioned in the species desc. Apparently new to NZ, I have yet to find out if they are useful or other wise. They live in loose ground rather than hives.
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