Blister beetles consume alfalfa and other blossoming plants. Here are a few family pictures from the blister beetle family album. Some of them are more colorful than others and all of them have a nasty chemical in their blood. As blister beetles migrate to irrigated crops, they might cause a “single-season effect.” If hay producers suspect blister beetles in their fields, they can still harvest the alfalfa. Because even dead blister beetles are toxic, it is important that alfalfa producers do not crush beetles during harvest.
The blister beetles give off the toxic chemical when they are stressed, generally when they're picked up. The best ways to control them naturally is diatomaceous earth, handpicking, and trap crops. Most commonly beetles are abundant during the mid-summer months, so the second cutting of alfalfa is the stage that is most likely to be consumed by beetles and a potential threat to horses. Blister beetles are basically a type of beetle which secretes a substance called cantharidin which is quite irritating to any animal that consumes or comes into contact with it.
Here are a few family pictures from the blister beetle family album. By Benjamin Espy, DVM, DACT Many horse owners feed alfalfa hay to supplement their horse and is a very efficient source of protein and calcium.
Adult blister beetles live for over three months, and populations can expand rapidly in warm areas. The technical designation for blister beetle toxicity is cantharidin intoxication.
Blister beetle Lytta stygica Blister beetle - Pyrota Variations of blister beetles: Accidentally crushing a beetle against the skin can result in a painful blister, the source of the insect’s common name. Blister beetles can create a serious health threat to horses or sheep when large numbers of blister beetles and toxic amounts of canthardin are ingested in hay or other plants that are used for livestock feed. "It's a defense mechanism," he said. While this critter can cause harm to alfalfa crop of a farmer, especially when there is a bevy of blister beetles, the major concern is the adverse effect they have on farm animals, especially horses. Alfalfa hay requires very specific growing conditions and is primarily harvested in the western United States. Blister beetles are a nasty, toxic pest in your garden that can cause skin irritation. The welts or blisters on your skin are a reaction to cantharidin, an odorless, colorless chemical the beetle releases to protect itself against its enemies. Blister beetle Lytta stygica Blister beetle - Pyrota Variations of blister beetles: Red Ridge Ranch Riding Stable has had 14 horses die since September due to toxic hay from South Dakota and Wyoming that was poisoned by blister beetles. The technical description for blister beetle toxicity is canthanridin intoxication.
Blister beetles are a type of beetle that secrete an irritating substance called cantharidin. Blister beetles are members of a family of plant-feeding insects (Meloidae) that contain cantharidin, a toxic defensive chemical that protects them from predators. Blister Beetle Love and Defense Like many animals, you are likely to see different shapes, sizes, and colors of blister beetles. Blister beetles often swarm and if they are feeding on alfalfa in the field they may be harvested with the hay in a localized area due to this swarming nature of the insects. Blister Beetle Love and Defense Like many animals, you are likely to see different shapes, sizes, and colors of blister beetles. Blister beetles are a type of insect found primarily in the southwest and Midwest regions of the United States. Even if you are using alfalfa that has been harvested months or years previously, your horse is still at risk for blister beetle toxicity. There are more than 200 different species, and they can be found from Mexico to Southern Canada, and from the east coast of the United States as far west as New Mexico. Blister beetles contain cantharidin, a toxic substance that is used as a defense mechanism against predators. Some of them are more colorful than others and all of them have a nasty chemical in their blood.
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