Nevada is currently experiencing an invasion of millions of shield-backed katydids, The Guardians reported.
Commonly referred to as Mormon crickets, the insects which resemble grasshoppers, have been swarming across the small town of Nevada, causing alarm among residents and creating a terrifying scene as they blanket roadways and buildings.
The Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital was forced to take action, deploying brooms and leaf blowers to clear a path for patients entering the building. A hospital spokesperson highlighted the challenges posed by these crickets.
Not only do they create a spooky and plague-like environment, but they also pose a risk on roadways when crushed in large numbers. The squashed crickets can make the roads slippery, leading to possible accidents.
Jeff Knight, an entomologist for the Nevada agriculture department shared his expertise.
“They get run over, two or three come out and eat their buddy, and they get run over, and the roads can get covered with crickets and they can get slick. The bigger issue is these afternoon thunderstorms and put a little water on that and it gets slick, we’ve had a number of accidents caused by crickets” he commented.
Contrary to their name, Mormon crickets are not true crickets but rather large shield-backed katydids that are incapable of flying. They rely on walking or hopping to get around. These insects lay eggs during the summer, which remain dormant throughout the winter and hatch in the spring. However, in 2023, due to an exceptionally rainy winter, the hatching was delayed. Consequently, a vast number of insects are currently migrating across Nevada, with their population likely to peak for four to six years before being naturally controlled by other insects and predators.
Knight, who has been dealing with Mormon cricket infestations since 1976, estimated that the current band of crickets in Elko, Nevada, covers an area of approximately 1,000 acres. In the past few years, high populations of crickets have been moving through Elko and other towns. It is not a migration from one specific location to another but rather a search for more space due to population density.
To combat the detrimental effects of these infestations, the US Department of Agriculture has been tasked with assisting states in protecting rangeland and crops from grasshoppers and Mormon crickets since the 1930s. Western states like Montana, Utah, and Idaho have also allocated a large sum of money toward suppression efforts. In 2021, Oregon allocated $5mn to assess and establish a program to combat these pests, the Associated Press reported.
The United States isn’t the only country battling with bugs. Recently, Daryo reported a locust crisis in Afghanistan threatening its agricultural sector and intensifying the already dire food insecurity situation.
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