Nevada Department Agriculture (NDA) State Entomologist Jeff Knight told the Humboldt County Board of Commissioners that he believes that Nevada is on the tail end of a peak in the Mormon Cricket population. His comments came during their regular meeting on April 15.
Commissioner Ron Cerri was absent from the meeting and Commissioner Tom Hoss was present via web-call.
“These crickets aren’t going to be here forever,” said Knight. “From my data from last year and previous years and from what we’ve seen this year, we’re on the downhill side [of the population peak].
However, reports of crickets hatching have been pouring in, especially in Eureka and Elko, according to Knight, and will continue to increase in higher elevations with the onslaught of warmer weather, but the NDA is set to begin treating for the insects on the ground this week and is tentatively set to begin aerial treatments the first week in May.
Populations can reach levels that pose a risk to agriculture and vegetation and public safety on roadways when they are crushed under vehicles, creating a slick coating on the road.
The NDA is very limited in their abatement, as they are only allowed to treat an area one time, but the plan presented to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposes to protect 222,254 acres by aerial treatments, pending USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) approval and funding.
Knight explained that there is only a limited amount of funding that all of the western states must compete for, and with a significant outbreak of grasshoppers in Montana, majority of the funding is likely to go to them.
Of the hundreds of the cricket reports the NDA has received, most are from private landowners and have been small crickets, according to Knight.
The NDA is only permitted to treat public lands and those must meet other criteria including density per square yard. Private landowners must purchase their own bait at agriculture supply stores, but Knight said there is some aid available to private landowners if they contact Meghan Brown, NDA Division of Plant Health and Compliance Administrator.
“Whether we’re treating public lands or you’re treating your own property, we have to be strategic to maximize efficacy of these treatments,” said Knight.
Additionally, the NDA has found that treating the crickets in the later stage of their life is more effective than treating younger crickets, as younger crickets are more resistant to the treatments.
Knight told the Commissioners that the smaller crickets have a lot more predators as well, such as birds and certain types of wasps, than the older crickets, which can only help in abating them.
“The actions we take now greatly reduce the options available to us later,” said Knight. “The Mormon crickets are less likely to be affected by baits or sprays right now. If we treat now and they are not as impacted as we’d like, we won’t be able to do it again.”
The NDA investigates all reports of crickets, driving surveying efforts and helping to determine treatment priority, as well as recommendations to local officials and private landowners regarding treatment options on private lands, where the NDA cannot treat.
Report sightings of Mormon crickets to the NDA at agri.nv.gov/entomology or call the Humboldt County Manager’s office at 775-623-6300.