If you saw crickets around RBC in August/September, take this short survey to tell us where.
Did you see those big ugly crickets this summer?! Mormon crickets have occupied Rio Blanco County for many years but WOW, there were a lot of them this year! Any fields, roads, homes, corrals, etc. that were in their path were covered with crickets. They did damage in some places and not in others. While they are out of sight and out of mind now, you can help identify where they may hatch next spring.
This effort will only be successful with the help of our local landowners and outdoorsmen. Crickets typically lay their eggs in late August and early September. Therefore, it is critical to get a good map of their location at that time. Please fill out our quick and easy survey so we can figure out where the crickets were in late August and September of this year.
There is a coordinated effort between the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts, Rio Blanco County, CSU Extension, Towns of Meeker and Rangely, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Moffat County to prepare for another influx of crickets next spring. We hope there isn’t a big hatch in 2024, but if there is, we will have a plan in place to help control them!
Early next year, citizens will also be asked to help identify hatch locations so that we can map them for spraying. Landowner permission forms will be collected before spraying. We will let you know through a newspaper article and the Districts’ website as the time approaches.
If you would like to volunteer to help with this effort or stay informed via our email list, please contact the District office.
For other questions, please contact the White River & Douglas Creek Conservation District office at 970-878-9838, [email protected], or Rio Blanco County at 970-878-9586.
By Callie Scritchfield, Special to the Herald
