Photo: Mormon crickets invade the road near Meeker and Craig

DENVER (KDVR) – Alongside insects like Miller moths, the famous Mormon crickets are starting to appear in warm weather. Despite Colorado's sometimes pleasant temperatures, they are already being seen in parts of Colorado.

Mormon crickets are known to emerge in early summer, when their eggs begin to hatch in late May and early June.

The photo below was taken on Saturday, June 1, on a stretch between Meeker and Craig. Although the photo may look like black dots covering the road, they are actually crickets.

These insects were also spotted last year in early June when Mormon crickets were invading parts of the United States. We know that they take over in the event of drought.

Although they don't look like more than a dot, 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 farmland ecosystem, but they can reach epidemic levels.

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