Townspeople Thwart Cricket Invasion by Blasting Led Zeppelin

Discoblog
By Rachel Cernansky
Apr 27, 2009 9:15 PMNov 5, 2019 8:50 AM
crickets.jpg

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

Mormon crickets have no taste in music, and Nevadans are using it against them. Residents of Tuscarora are getting ready to blast their boomboxes to ward off the crickets' semi-annual invasion, after the townsfolk realized three years ago that the pests don't like Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones. Mormon crickets are a real problem in northern Nevada and other parts of the Great Basin: They march in columns up to two miles long and one mile wide from about May through August. They hatch in April and invade all aspects of life before they finally lay eggs and die. They destroy crops, invade people's homes (one resident said, "You'll wake up and there'll be one sitting on your forehead, looking at you"), and clog roadways—even requiring snowplows to clear out their piled-up carcasses. People do what they can to steer the pests away, trying poison bait and other tricks. But in 2006, after reading about a woman in the 1930s who had driven the insects off with a Chinese gong, a Tuscarora resident was inspired to try out some modern music. Since she knew the crickets rested at night, she got a group together to blast music for several days from early morning 'til evening. They tuned their stereos to a hard rock station, and local reports that year said that the music stopped many of the bugs in their tracks. According to a state entomologist, "The vibrations may deter the bugs, but I don't know of any research that says yes or no." Maybe Tuscarora should petition the Stones for a reunion concert in their town. Outdoors. Related Content: The Loom: Beware of Crickets Bearing GiftsImage: Wikimedia

1 free article left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

1 free articleSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 LabX Media Group