June 15, 2023 — Elko, Nevada is currently facing infestations of Mormon crickets that hatched early.

According to Utah’s KSL TV 5, six counties in Nevada have been invaded by millions of the insects, citing a colorful quote from an Elko resident who said, ““They’re just gross. They look like spiders, and they poop everywhere.”

Newsweek reports that “The Mormon crickets usually stay in one location for three to four days and crawl to their next area, as they’re flightless insects. It’s thought that they can travel between 25 and 50 miles per season, doing up to one mile a day.”

@auntie_coolette♬ original sound – Colette Reynolds

Is Utah next?

In 2021, Utah experienced an infestation of grasshoppers and Mormon crickets because of the drought, causing agricultural damage. The hope is that since the crickets do better in drought years, Utah’s cool, wet spring will stop them. Utah Public Radio reports that only a few small infestations have been reported so far this year, meaning that Utah might face the same issues as Nevada. UPR says that farmers who do experience infestation issues are still encouraged to call the Department of Agriculture. According to USU Extension, an infestation is when there are at least eight crickets per square yard of land.

The Salt Lake City Weekly coyly suggests that if you can’t beat them, maybe you should eat them. Babs Delay writes, “Native Americans long valued these ugly bugs for their nutritional value, herding them to gather, roast and grind into a flour of sorts, making edible cakes that pioneers called ‘desert fruitcakes.'”

Environmental Impact in New Mexico.

Meanwhile in New Mexico, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) completed Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Decisions for the environmental assessment (EA) to control grasshoppers and Mormon crickets in parts of New Mexico.

Based on the analysis contained in the EA and the comments received during the public comment period, APHIS has decided to implement the Proposed Action as described in the EA and concluded that it will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. The FONSI/Decision was signed June 2, 2023, and the EA was made Final.

Image:

Anabrus simplex – Mormon Cricket, Lazarus000 (Sept. 2014), via Wikimedia Commons.