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Description The Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex Haldeman) is a shield-backed katydid with small wings and an inch-long body.
Where they live Rangelands west of the Missouri River.
Plants they attack Flowers, fruits, vegetables, and even weeds.
Why they're a problem Stimulated by warm, dry conditions, mature Mormon crickets band together in summer and migrate as far as a mile a day, consuming all types of wild and cultivated plants. Severe infestations, like those in Nevada and Utah in 2003, occur about every seven years and boast bands as dense as 500 crickets per square foot, destroying nearly everything in their path.
Organic damage control These controls may help:
For large infestations, install a "cricket fence," says Jeff Knight, state entomologist for the Nevada Department of Agriculture. Mormon crickets don't fly—they can barely hop—so erect a fence 18 to 24 inches high fashioned from sheet metal or chicken wire lined with plastic.
For small infestations, apply soap sprays. They'll dull the crickets' taste for cultivated crops. Chickens, geese, and wild birds can control modest numbers of cricket nymphs but can't contend with large adult bands.
Prevent the next generation of crickets from hatching. In late fall, rake your lawn and turn over or till the soil in garden beds to expose eggs; cold temperatures will terminate incubation.
