Photo: Mormon crickets take over the roadway near Meeker and Craig

DENVER ( KDVR ) — Along with insects like miller moths , the notorious Mormon crickets are starting to appear during the warm weather. Despite Colorado’s on-and-off pleasant temperatures, they’re already being seen in parts of Colorado.

Mormon crickets are known to come out around the start of summer when their eggs begin to hatch in late May and early June.

The photo below was taken on Saturday, June 1, through a stretch between Meeker and Craig. While the photo might look like black dots covering the road, they’re actually crickets.

These insects were also spotted last year around the start of June when Mormon crickets were invading parts of the United States . They’re known to take over during drought-like conditions.

Although they don’t look like more than a speck, the crickets are red and a few inches long.

According to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service , insects like Mormon crickets and grasshoppers are a natural part of the western, farmlands ecosystem, however, they can reach outbreak levels.

Outbreaks can last for several years and in some cases more than a decade. During these outbreaks, the inspection service said it could cause harm to rangeland.

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