Nevada is home to several cricket species, but the one that dominates headlines and causes real problems is the Mormon cricket. Despite its name, it’s actually a large, flightless katydid that periodically erupts in massive swarms across the state’s rangeland. In 2006, roughly ten million acres of Nevada were infested. These outbreaks aren’t rare blips; population booms have historically lasted five to 21 years, and northern Nevada is ground zero for the largest concentrations.
Mormon Crickets: Nevada’s Biggest Problem
Mormon crickets are found in rangelands west of the Missouri River, but Nevada sees them statewide, with the greatest numbers occupying land north of Tonopah. During outbreak years, they form marching bands of millions that move across the landscape on foot, since they can’t fly. Each cricket can consume up to 38 pounds of plant material over its lifetime, targeting sagebrush, weeds, alfalfa, and vegetable crops indiscriminately.
Populations have been building in Nevada since the late 1990s. During a 2003 outbreak, officials called it the worst infestation since the 1940s, with swarms stretching from north of Reno and the Red Rock area in Washoe County all the way through Elko County near the Utah border. That year, an estimated 62,000 acres were infested, including over 17,000 acres of federally managed land. Within a few years, the affected area ballooned to ten million acres.
One reason the swarms keep moving is cannibalism. Research has shown that crickets at the back of a band will eat slower individuals in front of them. Stopping means getting eaten, so the entire mass pushes forward relentlessly, sometimes covering a mile or more per day.
Road Hazards and Crop Losses
When Mormon crickets cross highways, the results are surprisingly dangerous. Crushed bodies create a slick, greasy layer on the pavement that can make hilly roads impassable. Drivers along Interstate 80 and Highway 50 have encountered stretches of road described as “blood red from smashed crickets.” State agencies have specifically cited public safety along these corridors as a reason for intervention.
Agricultural damage is severe. During one major outbreak, a rancher in the Great Basin described the bugs as so thick he could kill ten with a single step on his 3,200-acre property. He lost 15 percent of his crops that season. In Utah alone, a single year’s infestation caused $25 million in crop damage, and Nevada’s losses follow similar patterns during peak years. The smell of millions of dead and decomposing crickets adds another layer of misery for communities in the path of a swarm.
How Nevada Manages Outbreaks
The Nevada Department of Agriculture runs a Mormon Cricket and Grasshopper Survey and Suppression Program that monitors populations and triggers treatments when densities hit specific thresholds. For Mormon crickets, that threshold is just two per square yard, much lower than the eight per square yard used for grasshoppers, reflecting how much more destructive cricket swarms become.
Treatments use a strategy called reduced area and agent treatments, where insecticides are applied in alternating strips rather than blanket-spraying entire areas. This approach reduces chemical use while still knocking down populations. Aerial applications typically use an insect growth regulator that prevents young crickets from molting successfully, while ground crews apply bait. Both methods require buffer zones near water: 500 feet for aerial spraying and 50 feet for ground bait.
The cost-sharing structure depends on land ownership. The federal government covers up to 100 percent of treatment costs on federal and tribal land, 50 percent on state land, and about a third on private land. The state picks up an additional share, but private landowners are responsible for their remaining third and must deposit the money into an escrow account before treatments begin.
Other Crickets You’ll Find in Nevada
Mormon crickets get the attention, but Nevada also hosts field crickets and Jerusalem crickets. Field crickets are the classic black or brown chirping insects that show up around homes, particularly in late summer and fall. They’re drawn to outdoor lighting and can slip inside through small gaps in doors and foundations.
Jerusalem crickets are the large, round-headed insects sometimes called “potato bugs.” They live underground in sandy or loose soil across Nevada’s desert landscapes and occasionally startle people with their size (up to two inches long) and alien appearance. They’re solitary, don’t chirp, and aren’t dangerous, though they can deliver a painful bite if handled.
Keeping Crickets Out of Your Home
During outbreak years, or even during normal late-summer cricket activity, you can reduce the number getting inside with a few practical steps. Start by inspecting your home’s exterior for cracks and gaps, especially around door frames, window casings, and where utility lines enter. Seal anything you find with caulk or weatherstripping.
Crickets are attracted to moisture, so running dehumidifiers in basements and crawl spaces and ensuring attics are well-ventilated makes your home less appealing. Outside, keep your lawn mowed short, eliminate standing water, clear weeds from garden beds, and move woodpiles away from the house. These steps remove the damp hiding spots crickets prefer.
Switching outdoor lights to yellow or amber bulbs, or sodium vapor fixtures, reduces the attraction for field crickets at night. If crickets are already getting in, applying a perimeter insecticide around your foundation, baseboards, and garage entry points creates a chemical barrier. Treat crawl spaces and basement edges as well, since these are common entry routes during heavy cricket years.