CARSON CITY — With northern Nevada seeing high populations of Mormon crickets over the last several years , the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is reminding motorists to reduce speed and travel safely in areas of heavy cricket concentrations.
Concentrations of crickets have been seen on Interstate 80, Mountain City Highway, and other northeastern Nevada state roadways. NDOT highway maintenance staff use snow plows to help remove the crickets. NDOT also sands highway surfaces for better driving traction and installs temporary electronic highway signs to remind drivers to slow for safety where bands of crickets are present.
In 2023, the Nevada Highway Patrol reported crashes in areas of cricket infestation, primarily from motorists not slowing to safe speeds for slick road conditions where crickets have been run over by cars.
By law, motorists must slow to a speed that is safe for current conditions. This can mean that a driver must slow well below the posted speed limit for safety.
Mormon crickets are a common occurrence throughout northern Nevada and other western states. Several factors, including temperatures and late snows, can impact populations in any given year. While cricket populations vary from year to year, NDOT reminds motorists to always drive safely.
The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) began treatment on public lands on April 22 and will begin aerial treatments next week. Treatments are expected to protect more than 200,000 acres of public land across northern Nevada from Mormon crickets.
The NDA encourages the public to report cricket sightings at agri.nv.gov/entomology to aid in population tracking and treatment planning.
NDOT highway maintenance experts fulfill nearly 75 different work tasks to maintain and keep drivers safe on state highways, from snow removal to roadway surface and drainage repairs.
Additional state highway information is available at dot.nv.gov or by calling 775-888-7000. Also follow @NevadaDOTReno on Twitter for traffic and project updates in northern Nevada, and @nevadadot on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates from across the state.