in Northwest Colorado hungry bands of Mormon crickets are on the move but so
Mormon crickets are on the move but so
Mormon crickets are on the move but so too is the USDA’s crack team of cricket
too is the USDA’s crack team of cricket
too is the USDA’s crack team of cricket catchers they are Greg sword a research
catchers they are Greg sword a research
catchers they are Greg sword a research ecologist who spent over a decade
ecologist who spent over a decade
ecologist who spent over a decade studying these insects Laura senior a
studying these insects Laura senior a
studying these insects Laura senior a botanist by trade recruited as a bug
botanist by trade recruited as a bug
botanist by trade recruited as a bug technician for this mission and Patrick
technician for this mission and Patrick
technician for this mission and Patrick Lorch a biologist with a knack for
Lorch a biologist with a knack for
Lorch a biologist with a knack for attracting crickets these experts are
attracting crickets these experts are
attracting crickets these experts are out here trying to get up close and
out here trying to get up close and
out here trying to get up close and personal with one of the worst scourge
personal with one of the worst scourge
personal with one of the worst scourge ah’s in the West the Mormon cricket has
ah’s in the West the Mormon cricket has
ah’s in the West the Mormon cricket has become notorious for its destructive
become notorious for its destructive
become notorious for its destructive invasions with this many jumping around
invasions with this many jumping around
invasions with this many jumping around it’s not a job for the faint of heart
it’s not a job for the faint of heart
it’s not a job for the faint of heart they sneak up on you too like they might
they sneak up on you too like they might
they sneak up on you too like they might crawl up your pant leg and you don’t
crawl up your pant leg and you don’t
crawl up your pant leg and you don’t feel it until they get all the way up to
feel it until they get all the way up to
feel it until they get all the way up to your neck and then they’re they’re
your neck and then they’re they’re
your neck and then they’re they’re really big juicy insects so you kind of
really big juicy insects so you kind of
really big juicy insects so you kind of have to fight the urge to slap them or
have to fight the urge to slap them or
have to fight the urge to slap them or you’ll get a whole bunch of juicy guts
you’ll get a whole bunch of juicy guts
you’ll get a whole bunch of juicy guts all over your neck you got to watch out
all over your neck you got to watch out
all over your neck you got to watch out for that miles of highway and millions
for that miles of highway and millions
for that miles of highway and millions of acres and a half dozen states have
of acres and a half dozen states have
of acres and a half dozen states have been blanketed by thick bands of big
been blanketed by thick bands of big
been blanketed by thick bands of big black insects although they are known as
black insects although they are known as
black insects although they are known as crickets these insects are actually
crickets these insects are actually
crickets these insects are actually katydids not true crickets they don’t
katydids not true crickets they don’t
katydids not true crickets they don’t fly that can hop and crawl as much as a
fly that can hop and crawl as much as a
fly that can hop and crawl as much as a mile in a day eating anything and
mile in a day eating anything and
mile in a day eating anything and everything it’s pretty intense and you I
everything it’s pretty intense and you I
everything it’s pretty intense and you I even if you like insects you would not
even if you like insects you would not
even if you like insects you would not want to sit down in the middle of that
want to sit down in the middle of that
want to sit down in the middle of that now Laura Greg and Patrick are trying to
now Laura Greg and Patrick are trying to
now Laura Greg and Patrick are trying to find a way to stay a step ahead of the
find a way to stay a step ahead of the
find a way to stay a step ahead of the crickets they want to discover secrets
crickets they want to discover secrets
crickets they want to discover secrets about their behavior so they are now
about their behavior so they are now
about their behavior so they are now bugging the bugs they’re gluing tiny
bugging the bugs they’re gluing tiny
bugging the bugs they’re gluing tiny radio transmitters on to the backs of a
radio transmitters on to the backs of a
radio transmitters on to the backs of a few lucky candidates then they follow
few lucky candidates then they follow
few lucky candidates then they follow the crickets across Colorado’s rugged
the crickets across Colorado’s rugged
the crickets across Colorado’s rugged rangeland oh I see it it’s right in this
rangeland oh I see it it’s right in this
rangeland oh I see it it’s right in this bush she is good job the crickets that
bush she is good job the crickets that
bush she is good job the crickets that have been tagged are tracked and then
have been tagged are tracked and then
have been tagged are tracked and then recaptured their way to see how well
recaptured their way to see how well
recaptured their way to see how well they’re doing and then sent on their way
they’re doing and then sent on their way
they’re doing and then sent on their way the idea Greg says is to get a fix on
the idea Greg says is to get a fix on
the idea Greg says is to get a fix on where bands of crickets move how fast
where bands of crickets move how fast
where bands of crickets move how fast why once we’ve done that we can develop
why once we’ve done that we can develop
why once we’ve done that we can develop models mathematical models that we can
models mathematical models that we can
models mathematical models that we can use to then predict for other bands in
use to then predict for other bands in
use to then predict for other bands in other parts of the western US you know
other parts of the western US you know
other parts of the western US you know potentially our ultimate goal is to help
potentially our ultimate goal is to help
potentially our ultimate goal is to help people and that’s what we all like to do
people and that’s what we all like to do
people and that’s what we all like to do historically Mormon cricket infestations
historically Mormon cricket infestations
historically Mormon cricket infestations are bad for about three years in every
are bad for about three years in every
are bad for about three years in every decade greatsword certainly isn’t
decade greatsword certainly isn’t
decade greatsword certainly isn’t complaining ronger up here I like it
complaining ronger up here I like it
complaining ronger up here I like it quite a bit for me it’s hard to imagine
quite a bit for me it’s hard to imagine
quite a bit for me it’s hard to imagine that I actually have a job where I get
that I actually have a job where I get
that I actually have a job where I get to work outside and chase insects as
to work outside and chase insects as
to work outside and chase insects as they run around in sagebrush it’s I love
they run around in sagebrush it’s I love
they run around in sagebrush it’s I love it
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