Millions of small creepy Mormon Cricket cripple US city Nevada. See horrific images

US town Nevada is invaded by 'Greasy, Gross' Cannibal Mormon Crickets. A recent infestation of Mormon crickets in Nevada has forced homeowners to stay indoors, as millions of these insects are swarming the town of Elko, covering roads, buildings and houses -- even blocking hospital access.

The Mormon cricket is not really a cricket at all but a 2-inch long insect that devours grass and is responsible for soil erosion. Its name comes from their wanton destruction of America's native civilization Mormon settler land in Utah, back in the 1800s. These bugs even cannibalise and devour one another if no other food source is available.

As roads and buildings are covered by these insects, they are often get crushed by cars or walkers. Walking on them is said to be similar in sensation and sound to stepping on popcorn. When the bugs expire on a roadway, they can actually cause accidents, as their slick entrails create a slippery surface for vehicles.


Residents in the infested area say they are fed up with the ground-dwelling creepy-crawlies.

"You feel super violated," Colette Reynolds told CBS.


"When you're inside the house it sounds like it's raining because they just randomly let go of wherever they're hanging onto and drop."

The creatures are even causing problems for the emergency services.

"Just to get patients into the hospital we had people out there with leaf blowers, with brooms," Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital's Steve Burrows told local KSL TV.

"At one point we even had a tractor with a snowplow on it just to push the piles of crickets and move them on their way," he said.


Nevada's state entomologist Jeff Knight said swarms of the crickets are not uncommon in the region, but just more noticeable as human populations spread to previously wild areas.

The bad news for the people of Elko is that there's not much they can do, but wait for it all to be over.

"There's a route of tolerate it and they probably will move through," Knight told CBS.

(Inputs from AFP)