Clouds of grasshoppers swarm Las Vegas alarming residents

Grasshoppers in Las Vegas
The insects are not in any way dangerous. Photo credit: 360 in Vegas

Forget the casinos and Elvis impersonators, the latest attraction in Las Vegas is grasshoppers.

Massive swarms of the insects have descended on the popular tourist destination, according to CNN, outnumbering humans in some parts of the city. 

Although the sight has alarmed many residents, experts say the phenomenon is not so out of the ordinary. 

"It appears through history that when we have a wet winter or spring, these things build up often down below Laughlin and even into Arizona," Jeff Knight, state entomologist with the Nevada Department of Agriculture, told CNN. 

"We'll have flights about this time of the year, migrations, and they'll move northward."

Knight said he has seen as similar thing "at least four or five times" during his 30-year career. 

The winged insects are attracted to lights, something which Sin City is certainly not lacking.

One local resident said just seeing the bugs made her itchy. 

"When I see them, it's like being in a movie. Never seen nothing like this ever!" Jessica Palmore, a Lyft driver in the city, told CNN.

Despite giving people the heebie-jeebies, the insects are not in any way dangerous.

"They don't carry any diseases. They don't bite," said Knight. 

"They're not even one of the species that we consider a problem. They probably won't cause much damage in the yard."

Newshub.