Crickets causing a stink in Texas city

WACO, Texas (AP) — Several businesses in the Central Texas town of Waco are dealing with a smelly problem that won't go away: decaying cricket carcasses.

A bank, a drugstore and other businesses have been inundated with the odorous onslaught of dead crickets that have been trapped inside walls and have collected on sidewalks.

Jani Rodriguez, the branch manager at Synergy Bank, tells the Waco Tribune-Herald ( http://bit.ly/QcSOLs ) that scented products have been unable to get rid of the smell. Using air-scrubbing machines hasn't worked either.

Fred Huffman, an entomologist who runs a local pest control business, says the cricket problem has been worse this year because mild winter conditions resulted in the insects appearing earlier than normal.

Health officials say the crickets don't pose any direct health risks.