But perhaps this past year, with all of the flooding and hay in some places put up late, led to conditions perfect for the beetle to get into more of our fields. And even a small amount of the bug itself or cantharidin, the toxic chemical it contains, experts say can be toxic enough to kill a horse within 72 hours.
The horses, the owners tell us, had what looked like blisters and holes down their esophagus and throughout their insides. Necropsy reports are being done on each of the horses to confirm their cause of death and the entomologist at the University of Wisconsin, they say, have also confirmed the presence of the beetle in their hay.
Cindy Kanarowski-Peterson tells me she has 15 more showing signs of distress. The hay she had been feeding the herd, she says was purchased in four separate semi-loads over the course of several months from an auction site in Belle Fourche. Jensen and others, including State Veterinarian Dustin Oedekoven, say while they look for more answers, and reiterate most of South Dakota's hay and alfalfa is safe to feed, it's best everyone right now know what the beetles look like, and what to watch for.
The Wisconsin horses, that we know, are the only ones to die as a result of the beetle this season. Oedekoven says at this point, where the hay came from has not been pinpointed. But to avoid the problem in the future, hay producers should always walk their fields before cutting, and avoid harvesting where they are present.
Horse owners in the meantime, should do all they can to buy from a local source, and buy the first cutting whenever possible. Because South Dakota typically has only one cutting, that may be why, according to Oedekoven, we don't see many problems with the beetle here.
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It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Create a free account with TheHorse. Enter Password Confirm Password. Strength indicator. Swinker said the western United States tends to have more of the black blister beetles. The three-striped blister beetles are found more in eastern states and parts of the Midwest. But Kaufman said blister beetles will migrate to any area with the right conditions.
He said some areas may be seeing more blister beetles this year because of severe drought in parts of the country. 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. One way to do that is to time harvest for when the alfalfa is not blooming.
Harvesting before flowering is not ideal for producers, but the measure could reduce the number of beetles in a crop. If blister beetles are in the alfalfa, harvesting alfalfa without using a crimper could help. Though crimping alfalfa can increase its value, the crimper can crush blister beetles and leave them in the alfalfa.
If possible, said Swinker, harvest alfalfa without a crimper and give the beetles a chance to fly away. Swinker said it could help to leave a patch of alfalfa un-harvested. That way, beetles would have a tempting place to fly. Swinker said it could also help to get rid of weedy plants, like dandelions, that attract blister beetles. Both Kaufman and Swinker said not to use insecticide on alfalfa to kill blister beetles before harvest.
Dead beetles will often remain in the alfalfa and get processed during baling. Kaufman said alfalfa with some blister beetles could still be sold to cattle and sheep producers.
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