Insect attack! US West is battling crop-killing swarms
They are named after the Mormon pioneers who moved West and learned firsthand the insect’s devastating effect on forage and grain fields.
Experts say this year could be a banner one for the big bugs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service reports significantly higher Mormon cricket populations on federal land in southwestern Idaho.
Spokeswoman Abbey Powell says some areas have as many as 70 crickets per square yard.
The swarms also are affecting Oregon, Nevada and other Western states.
