‘Hell on earth’: Insects take over entire city

Locals are living in fear after millions of insects wreak havoc and cause multiple car crashes after descending upon an entire city.

A swarm of giant insects are wreaking havoc after taking over an entire city.

While it might sound like the plot of a Hollywood horror film, the distressed residents of Elko, Nevada, have been living through this nightmare for the last few weeks.

The bugs, known as Mormon crickets, resemble fat grasshoppers and are known to appear in parts of the western United States.

They can swarm a place in massive clusters that will completely take over the side of a building or an entire section of road.

In one horrifying clip shared online, the brown creatures can be seen covering the wall of a building with a dark, thick layer of twitching bugs.

“Another day of walking into work to see this,” the caption read, as the camera pans across the unbelievable sight.

The bugs can grow to be up to 8cm in length. Picture: TikTok / lillian_2000

Entire towns have been taken over bug the infestation. Picture: TikTok / lillian_2000

“I am not exaggerating when I say, I either work from home, or I quit!” one commented.

“I thought cicadas were bad in Australia but I’ve never seen this before...” an Aussie shared.

“I’d call the cops!” said another.

The insects have been causing absolute mayhem across the state, where officials have confirmed that they even caused multiple crashes on the interstate highway over the weekend.

Local media have reported one fatality from a collision in the area, however it is not clear is this was also caused by the insects.

Many have said it is the "stuff of nightmares". Picture: TikTok / @lillian_2000

The crickets take over entire walls of buildings. Picture: TikTok / @lillian_2000

“ECSO, Eureka County Fire, Eureka County EMS, Carlin Fire, NSP, have had a busy morning responding to multiple crashes on the Interstate due to rain and Mormon cricket sludge,” the Eureka County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.

Despite the Nevada Department of Agriculture stating that Mormon cricket populations have decreased over the years, many locals believe that they are worse than ever.

When they are crushed, the insects leave behind an extremely foul-smelling and very slippery “sludge” that can pose a serious risk to drivers.

“They make the roads extremely slick and unpredictable for stopping distance,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that wet weather creates an even more dangerous situation.

The bugs reportedly smell terrible when they are squashed. Picture: TikTok / @lillian_2000

The cricket invasions are typical for the spring in the area, as eggs laid the previous summer begin to hatch, according to Nevada’s agriculture department.

It can be very hard to predict how big the swarms will be and depends on a variety of environmental factors including late-season snowfall and certain temperatures.

Large populations of the insects pose a concern, not just when they are crushed, but live ones pose a significant threat to local crops.

A proposal has been submitted to the US Department of Agriculture for a large-scale treatment to exterminate them.

The bugs caused many car crashes, according to police. Picture: ABC4

Nevada has reportedly been plagued by Mormon cricket infestations ever since the insects invaded 10 million acres of land across the state in 2006.

Gary Doherty, who’s lived in the area for 30 years, told local news station ABC4 that the side of his home had been completely smothered in bugs.

He said he spent an hour trying to clear his front door, blowing the bugs away with a leaf blower but said his efforts did not make a dent.

“You couldn’t even open up the door or else you’d be flooded with crickets,” he recalled.

“It is freaky. It is nerve-racking.”

He added that when the bugs were run over, more of the creatures rush over to feast on the remains.

“They are cannibalistic…they eat their dead,” he said.

The crickets have been wreaking havoc. Picture: iStock

“That is why you see them on the roads so thick.”

A local florist, Kelsey Merchant, said that the swarm was causing a serious disruption to her business.

“A flower shop has a certain aesthetic that doesn’t involve crickets being all over the building, jumping everywhere,” she said.

“This is the worst I have ever seen it since living here.”

She was forced to remove all the plants from outside her store for fear that they would be eaten by the pests.

Mormon crickets get their name from early settlers who encountered the insects while travelling through Nevada and Utah.

They can grow to be up to 8cm in length and might be found to be black, brown, red, purple or green in colour.