Swarms of aphids bugging residents along Wasatch Front

"All these aphids that are flying are going to be laying eggs," Hatch said. "If we have another winter like last year, the hatch of aphids could be huge."

Burfitt said he's confident the upcoming winter will be sufficient to knock out most of the eggs.

Aphids are particularly difficult to control because of their rapid reproduction cycles, he said. But even with this fall's large numbers, Burfitt said he doesn't believe there's any cause for alarm in terms of impact on the state's crops.

"We tend to get pretty cold here throughout the winter," he said. "Those eggs will likely die if we get a hard freeze."

Either way, when spring comes around, homeowners should be vigilant about checking and spraying their plants, Hatch said. For the time being, insect sprays available at home and garden stores are effective, he said, though it would take coordination between neighbors to achieve a noticeable impact.

"It can be helpful if you and your neighbors … spray your yards," Hatch said. "If you're the only one in the neighborhood that sprays, the next day they're going to be airborne again."

Because the aphids are at their peak between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., not after sunset like mosquitoes and other pests, there's little that mosquito abatement workers can do to curb the swarms, he said.

E-mail: benwood@desnews.com