Black beetles in my alfalfa hay

[ThreeWishes]

UPDATE —— NOT a blister beetle. They’re ground beetles (Carabidae). Thanks all your your advice. Ag agent was so helpful.

---

Yesterday when cleaning my stall under horse’s empty hay net I found a black beetle. I took a picture and felt uneasy. I checked the 2 pads of hay I refilled his net with as best I could pulling them apart and didn’t see anything. This morning I found 3 more beetles in the pads of hay I peeled off the bale. .
So yes…. I googled images and descriptions of blister beetles. The pics appear more elongated than the critters I am seeing but bear in mind these beetles have been pressed/squashed during baling and are pretty desiccated.
I threw the bale out. I’d rather lose $25 than risk my horse ingesting blister beetles. Can I take the beetles I found to an ag extension office? Should I ask the feed store. Horse is going to have to eat his straight Timothy until I figure out if I’m over reacting.

What are the chances a harmless black beetle seems to be baled into my hay?

Would you have tossed the bale?

[Marla_100]

Sure looks similar to some of the black ones in this google images-
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gbv=2&ei=Ay4VYpiXBYmhptQP_rqjwAU&q=blister+beetles&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjYpNrq-pP2AhWJkIkEHX7dCFgQ7Al6BAgFEAw&biw=1087&bih=534

I’d ask the feed store to credit me for the alfalfa bale(s) and wouldn’t be buying any more alfalfa
from this store. You definitely need to notify them ASAP. I’d suggest they need to be more
careful of their hay sources also.

[ThreeWishes]

Thanks Marla. I saved several in a ziplock bag. I’ll swing by tomorrow and let the feed store know.

[wildlifer]

I’m not a bug expert, but yes, you can absolutely contact your state extension to ask about this. One of the major hay suppliers in my area had some blister beetles a few years ago & it was extension that sent out a big media announcement so people could be informed, bc several horses did die.

[ThreeWishes]

Thank you @wildlifer. I sent the ag office an email.

[lenapesadie]

Looks pretty suspicious to me.

Fingers crossed you don’t find anymore.

[betonbill]

Drop one off at your vet’s office or at least send them photos of same. Years ago I bought a bale of alfalfa that later turned out to be absolutely LOADED with blister beetles, so many that my horse either didn’t eat many of them or they were a less toxic variety. Luckily, the Chronicle had just had an article about blister beetles with pictures and I ran home and got it and showed it to my vet. My horse did have a reaction and did require IV fluids at the UF Vet School, but he did survive. There was talk of a few horses who died who may have eaten some. My vet was great and quickly got the word out locally. The feed store did wind up paying for my vet bill, BTW. Not anything to be casual about.

[ThreeWishes]

Will do! I’ll text my vet. I am in central Florida. The ag office is affiliated with the University of Florida. I’m glad to realize I’m not being crazy.

[ThreeWishes]

Pulled the partial bale out of my truck bed, got down on my hands and knees and pulled the remaining pads apart before I bagged them and threw it all in the hobo. Found 6 more. I’m thinking there were likely 1-2 suspect beetles per pad. I bagged them. Perhaps it’s why I don’t have a sick/dead horse. He won the beetle lottery. Sadly I don’t think it takes an infestation to cause harm.

He did have a pretty dramatic painful gas colic recently after eating his morning pad of alfalfa that I usually throw him before a lesson. Vet responded within 30 or so minutes and oiled him to the gills. Probably a coincidence. But it was the same load of hay. Thankfully this is my last bale. I’ve got lots of beetles to hand out to any agency or office that is interested.

[ThreeWishes]

Just read it takes as little as 4 GRAMS to kill a horse and it doesn’t need to even be a whole insect. Just the parts.

[Marla_100]

Thank Goodness you found these beetles before your horse got to them.
Do you mind sharing where you bought the hay? I’m in Central Fl. too and until 2 weeks ago I was also buying straight alfalfa, have now switched to orchard and orchard and alfalfa.
I wonder if theyre’ in the mixed hay bales also?
If you find out the source/farm/state the bad hay came from, if your feed store will tell you, can you come back and share it here?
From reading online, there’s way to prevent beetle infestations in the hay if farmers are diligent
and cut before the plant blooms.

[JB]

Find the whole-est beetle and take it to your Ag office. They may be simple darkling beetles.

[ThreeWishes]

Marla I just called my vet and texted her pictures. I think you’re north and east of me. Hay was bought at Dundee. It’s one of the remaining local feed stores. J&J which I have used for years because they sold 3 string Timothy and 3 string straight alfalfa closed their location Jan1st.

I would never want to hurt a business. Dundee has been around forever. They are a great feed store. I will follow up with the Ag office and the store. My last stone to turn is to go by there. Most people locally feed coastal. I’m the weirdo that hates tifton or coastal. I feed 2/3 straight Timothy and a pad or two of alfalfa. The Timothy alfalfa mix is crap so I have always mixed my own.

I seriously hesitated to say anything. One random
Bug is expected. It’s hay for goodness sake. But this hay had a bunch. I’d rather be safe than sorry and hope people forgive me for thinking it might be of concern.

[ThreeWishes]

I kept thinking it might be innocuous. And maybe I jumped the gun but I kept thinking if I didn’t ask or inquire I would be remiss. I have plenty of bugs to share with the ag office. .

[betonbill]

Keep everybody updated. The bale of alfalfa I got that had the beetles was from New Mexico, and at least 1/3 of the bale had literally hundreds upon hundreds of them–which probably saved my horse. And the feed store needs to know too, because they have to notify their supplier, and so on.

[walkinthewalk]

Don’t be so blasé about this. If a horse ingests just one ONE piece of a blister beetle, it could kill the horse.

Here’s another Blister Beetle link.

Blister beetles in alfalfa hay

I would demand my money back on that alfalfa, even if it does turn out to be a different beetle but I doubt it.

[wildlifer]

And when it is handled well, it doesn’t have to be about “hurting a business” - things happen all the time & it’s about how people respond. If I am a feed store, I want to know immediately about any suspected issues- a temporary loss of having to pull stock & communicate risk is worth it to add to the reputation of being proactive & transparent & caring about your customers & safety. That is a long term win- bc there are always going to be issues of some sort, that’s life (& someone’s always going to be mad no matter what you do, ha). So I’d approach the feed store (if it ends up being blisters) with something like, hey, I thought you would like to know about this so you can reach out for the safety of other customers. That makes it a positive action instead of a punishment.

It’s possible there is already an established route for this to be handled by extension/ state ag, but just wanted mention in case you do end up talking to feed store yourself. I’m like you - a good business can be hard to find, so want to help them thrive.

[ThreeWishes]

Great News! Heard back from Ag agent and it’s a ground beetle. NOT a blister beetle. I’m so relieved!! Thanks all for the advice

[lenapesadie]

Thank goodness!

[wildlifer]

What a relief for everyone! Never hurts to ask though!