Local News

Huge Cricket Population Could Be Health Hazard in San Antonio

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Many San Antonio residents are finding themselves dodging crickets while walking outside of local businesses. People are spotting hundreds of the insects jumping around, and unfortunately, they can cause more than just an icky feeling.

Since these crickets are hefty enough in size, if their dead bodies are not removed from sidewalks, they can start to smell badly. Also, if the insects make their way into restaurants or medical offices, they can spread nasty bacteria around.

KVUE reports that entomologist Molly Keck says their outbreak is due to wet weather and the time of year. She added, “In the last outbreak it was definitely in the hundreds of thousands. For the most part, they’re harmless. But since they’re attracted to light in the evenings, businesses are working hard to keep them out.”

Even though these bugs really aren’t all that bad considering how there are many more harmful insects around Texas, no one seems particularly thrilled that ther’’s such a high population of the crickets. Unfortunately, their peak season technically hasn’t even hit yet, so San Antonio should expect to see more crickets in the upcoming weeks along with the South Texas region, and business owners will need to keep brushing them away.