Repelled by Dust of Turmeric
In the spaces between summer’s hum and late autumn’s silence, a new sound rises. It’s dry. Flickering. Clicking. A whisper with wings. The Cicada Lurkers have surfaced.
| Height: | 3–5 inches (length) |
| Temperament: | Skittish, unsettling, opportunistic |
| Delights: | Moist soil, flickering porch lights, secrets spoken too loud, dusty screens |
| Detests: | Turmeric dust, silence, clean windowsills, sharpened shears |
| Botanical Link: | Dust of Turmeric |
Cicada Lurkers are not true insects, though they mimic them with uncanny precision. Their glassy wings, twitching antennae, and chitinous limbs suggest an evolutionary prank—but folklore insists they are older than the trees they climb. First recorded in Appalachian warnings and desert hermit journals, Cicada Lurkers are said to feast not on plants, but on awareness. They drain your sense of time. Hours vanish in their presence. So do keys, socks, and the feeling that you're alone.
In older stories, they emerge after long periods of drought or silence, drawn to static electricity and unrestored order. They nest near homes in the liminal hours of dusk and dawn, rarely seen but often sensed—especially behind thin curtains or under dim porch lights.
Cicada Lurkers are surface dwellers. They crawl under siding, rest inside forgotten flowerpots, or wedge themselves between patio bricks. Their call is not unlike a cicada’s, but slower, more arrhythmic, and somehow hollow. Some believe they communicate through frequency shifts and shadow tapping, though no study has confirmed this. What is known: when turmeric is near, they flee.
| Behavior | Likelihood | Notes |
| Clinging to window screens | ★★★★☆ | Often mistaken for large cicadas or debris. |
| Echoing porch light hum | ★★★☆☆ | They mimic electrical tones, especially flickers. |
| Appearing in dreams as static insects | ★★☆☆☆ | Sometimes considered a psychic intrusion. |
Hint: If your clock is blinking 12:00 for no reason, check the windows. You may already be watched.
They resemble cicadas from a distance but lack symmetry. Their wings are uneven. Their limbs twitch when you’re not looking. Look for their silhouettes on dusty windows, where they seem to flatten like shadows. Some report a faint, greenish glow beneath their shells when startled.
Not the steady rhythm of true cicadas, but a hiccuping static, sometimes layered with low mechanical buzz. You may think it's a bad bulb, a frayed wire, or tinnitus—but the sound will shift when you move, or answer a question out loud.
Rarely noted, but some describe the scent of dry bark, metal filings, or a sour humidity lingering after they pass. Gardens left untended for weeks seem to develop this aroma when Cicada Lurkers have nested nearby.
Ingredients: Dust of Turmeric, a candle, a bowl of salt water
Method:
Outcome: Clears Lurkers from your perimeter and restores the natural rhythm of sound and sleep in your home.
| Metric | Score |
| Global Population | ★★★☆☆ |
| Human Encounters | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Conservation Status | Widespread but unstable, strongly affected by ritual repellent |
Dust of Turmeric is the only known botanical that deters Cicada Lurkers. Our ultra-fine powder is sun-dried and sealed in wax, ideal for protective circles, herbcraft, and subtle cleansing. Use it to clear your space of strange static and winged watchers alike.
