Blister Beatles

Flewster · Jul 12, 2009

I cut my alfala second time this year. While cutting I noticed a patch that looked almost red. As I got closer I could tell it was bugs of some sort so I though I hit an ant nest. Nope.....got down and it was blister beatles..............thousands of them crawling all over............just in one spot of this field.........wow...........I know that they will kill horses so this crop is out to sell to any horse owners but what about sheep?..........maybe they will go somwhere by the time I bale it.........and how do I get rid of them?

Thanks.

LAA · Jul 12, 2009

Blister beetles are attracted to plants in bloom. keep weeds and especially flowering weeds mowed down around the edge of your field. Try to cut your hay before full bloom, especially 2nd and later cuttings. Spray the outer edges of the fields a few days before you want to cut and walk your fields after spraying. You said in a previous post that you cut the hay with a New Holland 44 mower -- thats good, no conditioner to smash the bugs, the majority of beetles might leave the hay and just have to worry about any that got crushed by the tractor. An old man I worked for in Emporia Kansas years ago told me that 100 beetles would kill a horse and 200 beetles would kill a cow, he didn"t mention sheep but they are just little cows so probably 25 or so would do them in. You can look at the hay when your feeding it and avoid most problems.

Blister Beatles

Flewster

Member

LAA

Well-known Member

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