Las Vegas Under Siege As Grasshoppers Swarm The Strip

A swarm of grasshoppers descended on Las Vegas, attracted by the bright lights of Las Vegas Boulevard. A video recorded across the street from the Mirage showed thousands of the winged insects hovering by the overhead lights and covering the sidewalk.

The Nevada Department of Agriculture explained that the influx of the grasshoppers was the result of a wetter than average winter, coupled with cooler temperatures in the spring. Under those conditions, the grasshoppers reproduced in larger numbers than average. The grasshoppers were forced to migrate hundreds of miles north and were attracted to the bright lights of Las Vegas.

The grasshoppers may be a nuisance but they are harmless and will eventually leave Sin City.

"They don't carry any diseases, they don't bite, they're not even one of the species that we consider a problem," said Jeff Knight, an entomologist for the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

Knight explained that this is not a new phenomenon, but it is one of the worst swarms he has seen in the last 40 years. He says that the grasshoppers will hang around for a few weeks before heading further north.

Even if they do stay and lay eggs, those eggs will not survive in Las Vegas. He expects that most of the grasshoppers will leave Las Vegas and be dead by August.

That can't come soon enough for some residents, who are not happy with the winged pests. Trent English, a pest control technician, described the scene at a gas station to KTNV:

"There were thousands that were congregating all over that general area. Not just that area, but at that point in time, customers were afraid to even come in through the doors or get out of their cars. It created a little bit of a panic epidemic because people didn't know what they were."

Another person shared a video capturing a dense swarm of the insects in a parking lot near the Linq Hotel and Casino.