Millions of Mormon crickets have arrived in Elko, Nev., the spiky copper creatures covering parts of the city, so the staff at Shilo Inns Elko on Saturday discussed ways to combat them.
Hotel workers poured hot water mixed with vinegar, bleach and dish soap.
They even pointed pressure washers at the brown clusters of exoskeletons. Still, the leaping insects kept coming.
Finally, Kimmy Hall, the general manager of Shilo Inns, told her stunned staff: “We can’t win against them. But we can stop them. “
Such is the case in Elko, a town of approximately 20,000 residents, as it is filled with Mormon crickets, which have just hatched and are in the migration phase.
Although crickets have roamed the area, about 300 miles northeast of Reno, for several years, millions this month swarmed densely populated neighborhoods and high-traffic roads. As vehicles pass through the crickets’ bodies, which crack like potato chips, their guts spill out.
The more crickets run over, the thicker the layers that accumulate on the road, leaving behind a sticky, colored mixture that can create unpleasant driving conditions, the Nevada Department of Transportation warns. . on Twitter.
The number and prevalence of road crickets is so widespread that the department uses plows to clear the slimy brown residue.
Mormon crickets, which are not true crickets but shield-backed katydids, are ground-dwelling insects native to the Western United States. They feed on grasses, shrubs and crops, which contribute to soil erosion and nutrient-depleted soils, according to the University of Nevada, Reno.
The Southwest is experiencing a severe drought, which the university says “encourages Mormon cricket outbreaks” that can last five to 21 years and “cause significant economic loss to mountains, cropland and home gardens.”
The name Mormon crickets is derived from the way the insects invaded the crops of Mormon settlers in the Great Salt Lake area of Utah in the mid-1800s, according to Washington State University. The males chirp like other crickets, “hence the incorrect common name,” the university said.
Since the 1990s, the Mormon cricket population has increased, especially in Nevada, the University of Nevada, Reno, said. In 2006, Mormon crickets infested about 10 million acres in the state.
The crickets — which are about two inches long and have full bodies — turn brick houses, front lawns and beige sidewalks a darker shade of russet. They don’t bite but it can induce shivering, especially in some new residents.
“It’s crazy,” Charles Carmichael, the owner of Battle Born Pest Control, said. “It’s going wild. I haven’t sprayed this many houses for crickets in a long time.”
In suburban stucco houses, he saw Mormon crickets crawling on exterior walls, acting like aliens in a retro arcade game.
Crickets devoured gardens, entered houses and somehow got into people’s backpacks and hair, prompting cries, Mr. Carmichael said.
He has limited weapons at his disposal. Many chemical deterrents do not work. The best he can do is put a smooth plastic fence around the gardens because crickets can’t climb smooth surfaces.
However, as Ms. Hall of Shilo Inns, killing crickets can lead to smelly results: The remains smell like fish or dog feces.
“Just a visit,” said Ms.
Chris Gomez, the store manager of Big 5 Sporting Goods in Elko, said Mormon crickets have covered the store’s sidewalk and entrance in recent days. Most customers “tough it out” and race inside, he said. But not all.
“We had some little kids crying when they tried to come in,” Mr. Gomez said. “You know, they’re a little scared.”
