Painful Insect Could Be on Its Way In Colorado

Summer is what makes Colorado one of the best places to live in the entire country, but it also means we can get some unwelcome guests.

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For example, summer is when the buck moth caterpillar comes out here, which can give you a painful poisonous sting from its countless barbs.

There’s also poison hemlock to contend with, which can have absolutely devastating side effects if it is ingested. 

But at the moment, the biggest annoyance comes from grasshoppers. Sure, they may not cause physical damage to people, but destruction they can do to gardeners and farmers alike is pretty major. 

However, another pest could be making its peak soon here in Colorado that’s tied with grasshoppers. 

Blister Beetle Season Will Be Hitting Its Peak Soon in Colorado

Denver 7 talked to some experts and found that the painful insect could possibly make a return here in Colorado soon. 

The intense amount of grasshoppers at the moment in turn means they will be laying a lot of eggs.

Interestingly enough, the larvae of blister beetles feed on grasshopper eggs. Lisa Mason, a Horticulture and Entomologist specialist for CSU says this can help control the grasshopper population, but it could cause more blister beetles to mature as well. 

What Are Blister Beetles?

Blister beetles are little insects that measure 1 to 2.5 cm. They vary in color as well, being anywhere from yellow to ash gray, with some having black stripes as well.

What they are best known for, however, is the painful little “sting” they can give you.

Their bodies let go of a fluid that can irritate the skin called cantharidin. In large doses, it can literally cause blisters, hence the name.

If you’ve ever gotten a blister from one of these insects, you know it’s not the most fun thing in the world, but it’s not too bad.

What Do I Do If I Have Blister Beetles?

Many people will get blister beetles in their garden, and while normally they don’t do much damage, they can do so in large quantities.

If blister beetles have infested your yard and you want to get rid of them, Trela Phelps of the City Floral Garden Center in Denver recommends using a substance called sevin.

She says it is good to use for essentially any chewing insect that might get in your yard and start feasting on your garden.