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  • An Off Topic question...

    I left Reno for B. C. by way of US-95, through Nevada, a bit of Oregon and into Southern Idaho. Towards dark I was in the volcanic sagebrush plateau above the Snake River plain when I began to see stuff on the road. I at first thought it was leaves (in June in the desert?) but soon realized that there were reddish paths where car wheels had passed, and that the road was getting a little slippery. Then I realized that the "leaves" on the side of the road were moving. Eventually, after several miles, I came to a scenic view pullout and stopped. The entire area was covered by large flightless insects -- 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length (at least as large as a large man's thumb). The ground was covered with these critters -- 6 or 8 inches apart, all headed downhill to the rich agricultural plain visible in the distance a thousand feet below.

    A truck driver who had also stopped to look at these things said he thought they might be "Mormon Crickets" which he said were the plague that the seagulls saved the Mormons from their first summer in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake.

    There had to be tens of millions of these things (what's 2 or 3 per square foot multiplied by a 10 mile circle?). All headed exactly the same direction downhill towards the irrigated plain.

    I thought perhaps one of our Idaho brethren could tell me what these are, did they get to the crops, and what was done to control them. Did they make Gary Hubler a hero? (They were headed straight toward Caldwell, where thre Hublers are based). Does this happen often? How do they know where food and moisture are -- from many miles away?

    Neal
    Attached Files

  • #2
    Re: An Off Topic question...

    You are correct in your thinking. They are the "Mormon crickets".

    There really isnt much that stops them. They eat most everything and anything in thier path. There has been some sucess in baits that help to controle them to an extent. But there is usualy so many of them that it only helps a little bit.

    Not sure about now, but about 10 years ago,the Silver lake/ Red Rock areas have had infestations of the crickets, that left a fairly major impact on the areas. People had gardens destroyed, wood siding on houses eaten, chickens and other small animals killed.

    If memory servs, the Reno Gazet had several articals on them. The destrucion they left behind, and what biologists have done to help controle them.

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    • #3
      Re: An Off Topic question...

      Yep, you guessed it, they are indeed Mormon Crickets. They are not too much of a problem over here in Boise but I have seen them on Highway 55 headed towards Horeshoe Bend. I am from Sacramento/Elk Grove area and I drove that stretch of freeway all the time and I have never seen the Mormon Cricket migration on 95. A treat indeed
      "CHARLIE DON'T SURF!!!"

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      • #4
        Re: An Off Topic question...

        A few hundred steam rollers following each other up and down the road would stop a few of them I think? Just my .02
        Bear..... and now Ghost Fever Forever...... John

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        • #5
          Re: An Off Topic question...

          No Fishermen here,,,don't you know GREAT BAIT when you see it.
          Try them!

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          • #6
            Re: An Off Topic question...

            Your right, they ARE flightless!!!!!!

            Race 29
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            Full throttle till you see God, then turn left!

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            • #7
              Re: An Off Topic question...

              When I moved here to Cold Springs (just west of Stead), one of the things left in the house were boxes of bait for the darn things. I hav'nt seen more than a few strays but about 4-5 years ago they cleaned this area pretty good, few of my plants are older than that!
              Every year they bait and spray and tho they seem to bypass the North Valleys, they hit the Red Rock area and others north of here it seems every year. The locals say when they come the ground seems to crawl in the distance, and they only stay a few hours.
              According to accounts, the roads get pretty gooshy.
              Leo Smiley - Graphics and Fine Arts
              airplanenutleo@gmail.com
              thetreasuredpeacock.etsy.com

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              • #8
                Re: An Off Topic question...

                Just the other day I ran across a photo of a wadded up Studebaker based race car. The owner said he slid off the raod when he hit these things while practicing during one of the high speed road races they hold in Nevada.
                No pixels were harmed, honest.

                http://www.ignomini.com
                http://www.pbase.com/ignomini

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