Big Bug Buzz

I came across an article that talked about the current brood of periodical cicadas putting out potentially dangerous sound levels. The reporters used a decibel meter several places around town. At one park they had readings between the high 80s to mid-90s. At another location the insects were louder than a light rail system train, and at a third louder than a tanker truck driving on the interstate.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, sounds at 85 dB can lead to hearing loss if you listen for more than eight hours at a time, and higher loudness causes faster damage.

If you've never heard a cicada buzz, it's a rising and falling drone. I find the annual cicadas whirr pleasurable, but put millions of them together and it's downright unpleasant. A cool front came through the area last night, and today we opened up the windows, which meant that the cicada drone was even more obvious.

I was curious just how loud the din was at our house, so I used the online loudness meter at Youlean.co. The noise turned out not to be so bad. I Placed the laptop immediately next to the windows in each room and got values of 30-36dB (similar to leaves rustling or a study room). Outside on the deck, the meter showed a range of 54-60 dB (about the same as a normal conversation).  

We're halfway through this cicada cycle. In about two weeks the singing and mating should be wrapped up. Thank goodness!

Five years ago: Unconcerned