Grasshoppers are invading Las Vegas in numbers so large that they’re showing up on weather radar, but some are taking advantage of the pesky situation in creative (and tasty?) ways.
The National Weather Service office in Las Vegas said in a tweet that birds, bats, and bugs can all register as “biological targets” on weather radar, but residents who have been dealing with swarms of grasshoppers the last few days know exactly what the culprits are.
While there’s not much Las Vegas residents can do about the pesky invasion — experts have pointed to a relatively wet year as the cause — some business owners are taking matters (or bugs) into their own hands.
One pizza shop in the city, for example, has started offering a new pizza with grasshoppers as toppings.
Evel Pie announced on their Facebook page that they are now selling “The Canyon Hopper,” which they say is “only for the bravest daredevils.”
The pizza pie consists of chorizo, goat cheese, caramelized onions, arugula, and the pièce de résistance — lime- and garlic-roasted grasshoppers.
“Sure it sounds nasty… Arugula, really? But, this pizza is damn good! It surprised us,” the pizza shop posted on Facebook. “We dare you to try it!”
? Some of you have been asking about the widespread radar returns the past few nights in #Vegas. Radar analysis suggests most of these echoes are biological targets. This typically includes birds, bats, and bugs, and most likely in our case–> Grasshoppers. ? #VegasWeather pic.twitter.com/reQX7hJR7Y
— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) July 27, 2019
Nevada, has had almost twice as much rain in 2019 than normal, according to CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar. Las Vegas has had 4.63 inches of rain to date — much more than its usual average of 2.38 inches in the same period.
Jeff Knight, state entomologist with the Nevada Department of Agriculture, said the grasshopper swarm is not terribly unusual given the amount of rain the state has had this year.
GRASSHOPPER INVASION: Thousands of Grasshoppers took over a parking lot in Las Vegas. The massive numbers of pallid-winged grasshoppers were due to a migration. Officials say the insects are harmless and don’t carry diseases. https://t.co/Wt3iz8vsyZ pic.twitter.com/4iidUDEDmV
— ABC News (@ABC) July 27, 2019
“It appears through history that when we have a wet winter or spring, these things build up often down below Laughlin and even into Arizona,” Knight said. “We’ll have flights (of grasshoppers) about this time of the year, migrations, and they’ll move northward.”
In May, Florida had to deal with their own seasonal insect invasion as lovebugs swarmed the Sunshine State. And last month, a swarm of mayflies invading Ohio also showed up on weather radar.
More on Geek.com:
- Massive Wasp ‘Supernests’ Are Popping Up All Over Alabama
- Bug-pocalypse: Millions of Lovebugs Invade Florida
- Maggot Sausages Could Help Feed ‘Overpopulated World,’ Scientist Says
