News reporter flips out as she's attacked by swarming cicadas

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Thursday, June 11, 2015
Reporter bugged by persistent pests
A Kansas reporter had a mini-meltdown when she found herself swarmed by cicadas.

A Kansas reporter in the field was trying to cover live-fire drills at a military base when she came under attack by a swarm of cicadas.

KSNT reporter Katya Leick, 24, was standing in a tank shooting video while being constantly interrupted by the giant flying bugs around her. Leick did her best keep composure, though she could barely get a word out before the cicadas would throw her into a fit of disgusted flailing and squeals.

Leick -- who has been with KSNT for eight months -- told ABC News that she had to keep giving herself pep talks to get through the 10 minute shot as cicadas invaded her clothes, hair and mouth.

"Every time I tried to start talking, they'd come. I was like, 'I need to hold it together, come on, I just have to get this done with,'" Leick told ABC News.

The reporter was covering 'Victory Week' at U.S. Army base Fort Riley, where the public could watch how soldiers demonstrate their weapons.

"Sometimes you just have to take what Mother Nature throws at you," Leick joked.

"I was lucky it was just cicadas and not something poisonous," she said. "They sound even more annoying than anything."

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