The small town of Elko, Nevada, recently faced a terrifying situation as it was swarmed by an enormous number of cannibalistic Mormon crickets.
These crickets, known for eating crops and causing danger on the roads, brought fear and uncertainty to the local residents.
Elko, Nevada, became the battleground for an infestation of these two-inch-long insects, which not only devoured crops but also posed a significant traffic hazard.
As cars squashed the crickets, their entrails created a slick and treacherous surface on the roads, making driving extremely dangerous.
The invasion went beyond the fields and encroached upon buildings, with the ground covered in a writhing mass of insects.
Disturbing videos shared on social media showcased the town under siege, along with several other counties in Nevada, as the swarms of crickets spread across the state.
The sheer number of crickets crawling up walls and infesting structures left residents alarmed and unnerved.
While they do not possess the ability to fly, they can walk or hop.
Despite their harmless nature to humans, the presence of these bugs triggered fear among locals who suffered from insect phobias.
Colette Reynolds, a resident, expressed her shock when she discovered the entire wall covered in crickets, stating, "That freaked me out."
To make the roads safer after the crickets were squashed, the Nevada Department of Transportation stepped in.
They used plows and spread sand on the roads to reduce the risk caused by the squashed insects.
Entomologist Jeff Knight, who has been treating Mormon cricket outbreaks since 1976, explained that the crickets would consume their fallen comrades, exacerbating the problem.
The infestation in Elko covered an estimated area of a thousand acres.
Knight noted that drought conditions likely triggered the hatching of the crickets, leading to population growth over several years.
However, he reassured that these swarms typically last four to six years before natural predators and environmental factors bring them under control.
Mormon cricket infestations have a historical precedent in the western United States, with the insects being named after their devastating impact on the fields of Mormon settlers in Utah during the mid-19th century.
Even though the invasions of these crickets have caused a lot of trouble and worry, experts who study insects say that there's not much residents can do except be patient and wait for the infestation to go away on its own.
