A short guide to managing blister beetles in alfalfa has been produced and provided online by University of Nebraska Extension entomologist John Campbell.
Blister beetles do little damage to alfalfa but can be deadly if fed to horses. Campbell provides photos and tells how to identify the pests, explains their life cycles and damage caused as well as how to prevent them from being trapped and incorporated into hay.
“If hay is cut with a sickle bar or rotary mower and not crimped, the beetles can leave the hay after it is cut. If the beetles are not allowed to escape, the trapped beetles die and are incorporated into the hay,” the online publication reads.
For more information, click on Management of Blister Beetles in Alfalfa.