Chirping, Chewing of Crickets Create Concern in Kenya

Tens of thousands of crickets that invaded the northeastern Kenyan town of Garissa are chewing through electric wires, clogging power generators and causing electrical blackouts throughout the region, the Kenyan News Agency said Friday.

The crickets have also caused mass insomnia among residents kept awake by the constant chirping of the invaders, the agency said. “We cannot tolerate this any longer,” said Gilbert Oloo, chief engineer at the Garissa power station.

Oloo said the crickets crippled the power station in Garissa, a town of about 20,000 people near the Somali border.

“Most of the time of the night shift people at the plant is spent cleaning out crickets, dead and live ones which clog the radiator and fan belts of the engines, causing frequent power cuts in the town.”