What are the bugs in my yard making this high pitched humming noise?

Is it probably a cicada.

If you live in the South, it is probably cicadas
Jinx: Beast!

@thebeadholder

Cicadas don’t just live in the south. I live in Pennsylvania, and we have them here all summer long.

I live in Southern California. Is there any way to make them stop that noise without killing them?

thank you Beast…my bad :-)

@zzztimbo

There’s no way to stop them. They tend to go away after a couple of months. There are thousands of them. And they hide well in the trees.

The interesting thing about cicadas is that they hatch on a 17 year cycle. The reason you tend to hear them every summer is that different broods are on a different cycle, so the annoyance gets to you every year.

@shilolo: That isn’t exactly true. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada
Some species do develop over 17 years, others 13, but most are on a much shorter cycle. It all depends where you are.

@Les. Good point. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and the ones in my backyard were reportedly on a 17 year cycle.

@shilolo: Yeah, we have the same ones in Chicago. I always thought they were so cool.

Try the answers from this question from Rowenaz – 9 months ago. “http://www.fluther.com/disc/3270/what-makes-that-clicking-noise-in-the-trees/”