The art installation Pulse & Bloom is seen during the Burning Man 2014 \"Caravansary\" arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 29, 2014. Over 65,000 people from all over the world have gathered at the sold out festival to spend a week in the remote desert cut off from much of the outside world to experience art, music and the unique community that develops. Picture taken August 29, 2014. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart (UNITED STATES - Tags: SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) FOR USE WITH BURNING MAN RELATED REPORTING ONLY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. NOT FOR USE BY REUTERS THIRD PARTY DISTRIBUTORS

Just days before the upcoming Burning Man festival, organizers face an oddly atypical problem. Giant swarms of biting insects have infested the grounds, and have demonstrated complete resistance to the desert\’s harsh conditions. Reporting from the festival grounds, writer John Curley commented on the site\’s current condition:

\”We don’t know how the little critters survive in the heat and the sun. All we know is that if you pick up some wood, you’re likely to uncover hundreds or thousands of the things. They’ve blown up inches deep against the sides of the Commissary tent. They’ve covered the carpets at the Depot. They’re all over the Man Base. So it’s not a localized occurrence, it’s everywhere.\”

Even more peculiar is the fact that not one, but at least three different species of inspects have swarmed the area. Entomologists have identified stink bugs, flying ants, and seed bugs so far. And as these names would suggest, they do indeed fly and emit an unpleasant aroma as well.

Are dead bugs MOOP? Burning questions for @BurningMan 2015 pic.twitter.com/4oSpG7fQAo

— Champagne Lounge (@CLoungebrc) August 18, 2015

Clearing the grounds of these pests will be no easy task. Despite the frequent desert dust storms, these colonies have stood their ground. They are resistant to most insecticides, and even the extreme heat does not seem to be thinning the swarm in the slightest. Hopefully organizers can devise a plan to deal with this plague-like epidemic, since at this point, the situation threatens to deflate one of America\’s most iconic festival experiences.

Source: Daily Mail

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