Millions of Mormon locusts have invaded a small town in the US state of Nevada, blocking homes and roads and making it difficult to even get to the hospital.
Not unusual, according to experts, the phenomenon has been going on for days and is confusing the 20,600 residents of Elko.
“We feel completely invaded,” says resident Colette Reynolds on CBS’ microphone. “It’s like rain when you’re indoors.”
“Creeping all over the road, it’s creepy. It’s just disgusting,” said Stephanie Garrett, another resident.
These insects have complicated access to even emergencies.
“We had to put people out with leaf blowers and brooms to get patients to the hospital,” Steve Burroughs of Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital told local channel KSL TV.
“At one point, a tractor had to be turned into a snow plow to push piles of grasshoppers.”
Jeff Knight, a Nevada Department of Agriculture entomologist, said such locust swarms are not uncommon in the region and are more noticeable as forest areas are encroached by humans.
To the chagrin of the people of Elko, there are few options to get rid of such hordes.
“If people want to engage in it there’s a willingness to pesticide (…) and a willingness to tolerate (insects column, editor’s note), and they’ll probably end up. Go”, detailed Jeff Knight on CBS.
