Examine Hay for Toxic Striped Blister Beetles

Blister beetles produce the caustic oily compound cantharidin, which can cause horses to become sick or die.
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Striped blister beetles, which can be toxic to horses, are being seen in high numbers in alfalfa in some areas of the state, said University of Missouri (MU) Extension entomologist Wayne Bailey, MS, PhD.

The beetles produce a compound called cantharidin that remains toxic in alfalfa hay for at least four to five years after harvesting. Adult beetles generally do not appear in the first cutting of alfalfa. Risk exists mostly in second and third cuttings.

Beetles typically appear in alfalfa, soybean, and weed patches in July and August after emerging from the soil. They range in length from 1/2 to 1 inch. They are easily recognized by their characteristic stripes and shape and prominent “neck” area.

Bailey said striped blister beetle—which earn their name because they can cause blisters on the skin of humans and in the mouths of animals—problems often appear following years with large numbers of grasshoppers. This happens because at an immature stage, striped blister beetles feed on grasshopper egg pods in the soil

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