XPost: alt.politics.usa, alt.survival, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14727647/biblical-plague-cannibal-crickets-utah.html
Utah is under siege from a rapidly spreading infestation
of Mormon crickets—cannibalistic insects that have returned
in massive swarms.
In areas like Fillmore and Tooele, residents describe the
invasion as 'apocalyptic', with bugs covering roads, fences,
walls, and even the sides of homes.
Crushed crickets have made roads dangerously slick, leading
to car accidents. In some counties, snow plows are being used
to clear away tons of insects.
Mormon crickets are large, flightless katydids—shiny, reddish
insects that can grow up to two inches long.
They're native to the western US, especially in states like
Montana, Oregon, Utah, Idaho, and Nevada.
These crickets thrive in drought and warm weather, forming
massive migrating swarms that can number in the millions.
Farmers are already reporting early crop losses, and backyard
gardens are being stripped overnight. In small towns, the air
reeks of rotting insects.
Officials are warning that the worst may be yet to come. Eggs
that hatched in spring could lead to a second wave of crickets
by summer.
. . .
They ARE a kind of cricket, but nearly the size of
grasshoppers. Kinda ugly too.
Oh, the Mormon Church wants them officially renamed :-)
The east coast of Florida sometimes gets plagues
of CRABS that come out of the sea and head for
inland areas with fresher water. They don't eat
crops, but turn the roads all slick and are big
enough where their claws can puncture tires.
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