Every 17 years a sea of alien creatures bubbles up from the earth under the same old oak tree. With enormous red eyes and intricate wet, lacey wings these creatures burst forth from the earth in spring and robotically move in single file up the bark of ancient oaks to mate and lay eggs only to die just days later.
These cicadas are just one of the creatures that are drawn like magnets to oak trees - moths, caterpillars, wasps, bees and a whole host of fascinating characters make their home in oak trees.
In this episode we explore the diverse world of oaks and the strange and symbiotic relationships these trees have with their citizens.
The other episodes are:
1. Life In A Vegetable Garden - Many mouths to feed, and clever ways to avoid becoming a meal.
2. Nightlife - What comes out at night in the garden.
3. Honeybees - The role of honeybees in a common garden.
4. Appleachia - The amazing array of life an apple tree can lure into a garden.
5. Fungi - What you see is only the tip of the iceberg.
6. Sap Sucking Hoppers - The astronauts of the garden.
7. Garden Mimics - More than meets the eye.
8. Vines - The good, the bad and the ugly side of vines.
9. Whether The Weather - How plants survive the stress of changes in the weather.
10. Weevils - They crawl, they fly, and some even swim...
11. Squirrels - What are these chipmunks and squirrels doing in the garden?
13. Life In A Lawn - Paradise is a well-tended lawn.
