If You See Any of These 7 Bugs in Idaho, Kill Them Immediately

According to the Smithsonian Institute, there are approximately 91,000 described types of insects living in the United States. There may be 73,000 more that havening been described yet. 

There are some that we feel pretty comfortable around. Finding a praying mantis walking near the radio station’s back door never gets old. Butterflies are just plain pretty. And even though grasshoppers were responsible for Idaho’s most devastating natural disaster, seeing one just takes you back to those days of trying to catch them on the playground.  

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Then there are ones that just freak you out or gross you out. Wasps and yellow jackets fall on that freak-you-out list. Mormon Crickets are near the top of the gross-you-out list. And every now and then some creepy crawly you’ve never seen before gets into your home, so you work up the courage to snap a photo of it and post it on Nextdoor asking “WHAT IS THIS?!” 

With so many species of insects out there, bugs can be weird and wonderful all at the same time. However, there are some bugs that the USDA would like you to help eliminate if you come across them. They have a “Hungry Pest” list of invasive bugs that could end up causing devastating damage to crops and trees if their population gets out of control. 

The organization says that invasive species are responsible for nearly $40 billion in lost crops and forest production…per year. They do their best to control these populations, but with so many insects out there, they could use a little help. That’s why they have a “Pest Tracker” page to show you which invasive insects your home state might be a good home for. When you look up Idaho, there are seven bugs on the list. These are the ones you should kill if you see them.