Cicadas: Too Loud?

Let’s see.

Cicadas…are they too loud? Yes. But how loud are they, really? Hm. The answer is “too loud.” But how loud is too loud? Hm. The answer is “as loud as cicadas are.” But how loud is that? Huh. Good question.

Here’s what animals.howstuffworks.com says:

Cicadas are the only insects capable of producing such a unique and loud sound. [Ed.: I bet.] Some larger species can produce a call in excess of 120 decibels at close range. This is approaching the pain threshold of the human ear! [Ed.: !] Smaller species sing in such a high pitch that it cannot be heard by humans, but may cause dogs and other animals to howl in pain.

Wow. Yes, it is clear: they are too loud. Or. I guess the question became “how loud are they?,” and, yes, it is clear, that answer is “in excess of 120 decibels at close range” for the larger ones, according to the paragraph from animals.howstuffworks.com.

Too loud. As the summer comes to a close, it is time to be honest about the level of noise the bugs I believe are cicadas make outside of my apartment every morning, before they go away for the fall, (?), which I believe they do. It is: “too loud.”

I’m pretty sure the bugs I hear every morning are cicadas.