Not about shooting a squirrel but

[a1Bogey]

I have noticed several squirrels with those d-mn creepy paracites attached to them resently around the yard.   My son came over and said that he had just seen a squirrel in his neighborhood with some attached.    I told him that the squirrel just over his head ( in a pine tree) was eatup with them.   He jumped away from the tree when I said that and said, " where".  I pointed out the creature on a limb above.   My son could not believe it.  The squirrel looks as if he has a dozen walnuts glued on his back.  " Why don't you shoot it". he asked?    I told him that I would have to dig a hole and throw him in it  ( the squirrel)  and it was too hot for that.  And possibly fight the hunt cat for it and I did not want the cat anywhere near the creature.

It is a sick sight.  A Frankensquirrel.
Well, enough of this.

Bogey

[oldpink]

By parasites, I assume you mean tics?

[timegoat]

Do they look like this?

http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/slansky/botfly/abotfly/overview.htm

Didn't know squirrel get get bot fly. ...shudder...

- Mark

[Joshua A.]

thats gross

[Froghunter]

Mark,

Thanks.....very educational read! They seem to be bad this year!

Froghunter

[timegoat]

Gotta love the greatest research tool this planet has ever seen. Yay internet! A wealth of disgusting information.

Haven't seen any like that in NH, and I hope I never do. Might be just cause for a mercy shooting. Kill the host, kill the larvae, keep 'em from spreading to new hosts?

- Mark

[a1Bogey]

Mark, thanks for the link showing the Bot Fly larva infestation of squirrels.   This is exactly what ails these animals.

As they say, " Picture is worth a thousand words".

Bogey.

[timegoat]

Yer welcome. It's a pity, that's a nasty nasty thing to have. There are only a few bugs that creep me out and the bot fly tops the list. Didn't know we had them in this country, thought they were mostly a Central and South American thing. Ug!

- Mark

[only1harry]

Yep, we 've had many people post pics of squirrels with 1 or several botfly larvae living in them.  I guess you are lucky you didn't see them, or weren't a member then to get grossed out

[timegoat]

Oof... glad I missed em! Thought I'd been around GTA for a couple years but just recently realized my first target posting was June '09! My wife thinks I thought that cause I got Dorina in '05, but only found GTA in '09. And then, spent most of that time in the target gates, only been nosing around the hunting gate this year and then only after the old site died.

Glad to know now that we got the bots up here too. Information is power! Disgusting disgusting power.

- Mark