During this summer’s scorching heatwave in the western United States, certain insect species thrived in the high temperatures, wreaking havoc on crops and disrupting lives.
The region has been grappling with a prolonged drought for years, leading to depleted water resources and challenges for farmers across the area. When the heatwave struck, the most extreme temperatures were concentrated in the western states.
Experts pointed out that the surge in insect infestations, observed in states like Nevada and Colorado, was likely a consequence of global warming, which is often underestimated as a factor impacting insect populations.
Mormon crickets, for instance, invaded multiple western states including Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Washington, with Nevada and Idaho being the hardest hit.
The situation in Elko, Nevada, became so severe that residents likened it to a “biblical plague.” To cope with the crisis, a “Cricket Patrol” was formed at a regional hospital, using leaf blowers and brooms to clear paths for people entering the building.
In recent years, farmers in the U.S. West have been combatting outbreaks of Mormon crickets, which have caused substantial crop losses. These insects devour vegetation, damaging crops and even altering patterns of erosion, water runoff, and nutrient cycling, as noted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Climate change is believed to be partly responsible, as Mormon crickets thrive in hotter temperatures and droughts. The outbreaks tend to follow drought conditions, as warm weather and reduced rainfall facilitate their hatching and survival, according to the Oregon state government.
In 2021, the Mormon cricket and grasshopper infestations destroyed 10 million acres of land in Oregon, which was hit particularly hard by these species.
Similarly, Colorado suffered from corn earworm infestations affecting 30 to 40 percent of the sweet corn crop in a major farming area during this summer. The warming trend played a role in this situation, as the earworms appeared in greater numbers and damaged the corn at the beginning of the season.
The Tuxedo Corn Company, Colorado’s largest sweet corn producer, experienced significant losses, having to leave around 400 acres of fields unpicked due to the pervasive worm infestation.
Climate change‘s impact on pest problems is not confined to the present but is projected to worsen in the coming years. Researchers at North Carolina State University warned that as warmer climates shift northward, certain insect species that previously would not survive winter may now be able to do so due to warmer soil temperatures.
This could potentially enable the earworm to overwinter in the U.S. Corn Belt, an area that has traditionally been too cold for this pest. Researchers highlighted that farmers should expect new and intensified pest challenges in the future as the climate continues to change.
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