Least Weasels

 

https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/weasel.html

Recently, on social media the subject of least weasels came up when an individual discovered multiple chickens killed on their property. Several people commented on the post and said they had had similar experiences. Was this the activity of the least weasel or something else? Least weasels, along with numerous other weasel-like animals and various rodent species began appearing approximately 5-7 million years ago. At this time in our Worlds history great forests were giving way to vast grasslands and this new habitat was hospitable to these small creatures. These small burrowing, rodent-like animals thrived, and populations exploded.

The Ice Age that caused the demise of many land animals seemingly had no lasting effect on weasel populations and they were able to survive in less-than-ideal conditions, in large part because of their ability to burrow under the snow and hunt the small rodents tunneling through the frozen landscape. These tiny carnivores most likely made their way to North America via the Bering Land Bridge approximately 200,000 years ago. These well-established weasels are found throughout North America, as well as Northern Africa and Eurasia, from where the original populations came from before the continents separated.

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/least-weasel-facts-animals-of-north-america.html

These tiny, slender mammals are brown with white bellies, chests, and chins. In the more northern parts of their range their fur will turn completely white during winter, making for excellent camouflage. They have short tails and feet and small forward-facing eyes. Ferocious hunters, least weasels can kill and eat something up to 50% of their own body weight daily. With a body weight of 1 ¼- 2 ounces this means they are killing and eating about 1 to 1 ½ mice and consuming them each day to keep up with their fast metabolism. They are also known to kill and take young rabbits and other small mammals such as voles, and more rarely birds, bird eggs, fish, and frogs. These tiny hunters have a bite force, for their size, stronger than that of lions, tigers, bears and even hyenas! Their short jaw, strong muscles and the placement of their teeth allow for incredible strength when snapping their jaws closed. But do they kill chickens? The short answer is no, adult chickens are much too large for them to overtake and kill, however, if they came in contact with very young chicks and are hungry enough, they will definitely kill one. The most likely culprit in these chicken killing sprees is the mink or long-tailed weasel. Each are related to the least weasel, but are much larger, making it possible for them to kill something as large as a chicken.

The weasel and mink are distant cousins with similar body shapes and hunting techniques. Each have brains that are triggered by movement. Rodents have adapted to these fierce hunters by “freezing” in place thus avoiding the predatory instincts of the weasel or mink that would be excited by movement. In the case of chickens, when something invades their space wild, erratic chaos ensues and would be impossible for a mink or weasel to turn away from. They just are not wired to leave a situation that could secure for them enough food to see them through lean times. They will literally attack, bite, and kill every single moving object until nothing else is so much as twitching. Their long body, extremely flexible spine and quick movements make them formidable hunters and chickens enclosed in a coop would not stand a chance against their superior strength and predatory abilities. Once they have killed all they can, they will begin moving their victims to cache them for later. This is why you may find a pile of chickens near where they were killed still inside the coop. Obviously the weasel or mink cannot drag a chicken back through the hole it entered, but they will try. How do you identify whether or not a mink or weasel is the culprit causing the demise of your poultry? Look for the bite wounds. If the puncture wounds are located on the top of the head or back of the neck and are arranged close together, then you can probably blame the mink or weasel. Otherwise, you may have another predator wreaking havoc. Animals such as fox, raccoon, coyote, dogs and rarely even a hungry opossum will all dine on your chickens. After all who doesn’t love a chicken dinner? In the case of these predators, typically they do not kill everything in sight. Nor do they attempt to create caches by piling up bodies like minks and weasels do.

Fortunately, rogue weasels and minks are rare, they generally do not go after poultry, instead they prefer to eat more wild fare in the form small rodents and rabbits, or in the case of the mink, fish, and frogs. Both mink and weasels can swim, but weasels tend to stay close to the shore and grab food from there, whereas mink will swim out into water for something to eat. 

https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/least-weasel

  

Least weasels on the homestead are excellent at rodent control and are far more beneficial than harmful. Their larger cousins can, and will sometimes create problems, but if wild food is plentiful, they too are beneficial. Many animals will turn the tables on the least weasel and the hunter becomes the hunted. Hawks, owls, snakes, foxes, sable, stoat, and other carnivores all kill and eat least weasels. These predator/prey relationships make them important components of the ecosystems where they are found.

How do you protect your poultry from determined predators? Mink and weasels are capable of slipping through the smallest of access holes, they can climb and dig. You will need to tightly seal your enclosure and check for openings in your wire with a diameter of more than two inches. Make sure you have a wall at least two feet high and the wire above that is high enough to prevent chickens from jumping over. The best solution is to have a top on your coop. There are mink repellents on the market that are reported to be effective. This liquid repellent is harmless to chickens, but reportedly discourages these intelligent, motivated predators from attacking your feathered friends.

Death of an animal that you have raised and cared for that provides eggs and companionship is never easy, and when that death comes in the form of carnage it is even more difficult. Rest assured though these incidents are rare, and in many cases can be prevented with a little due diligence on your part.

Blister Beetles

 

One of my favorite things is to help people identify insects or help resolve issues they may be having from insects wreaking havoc in their yards or gardens. Recently I received an email from someone near Kansas City that was experiencing a plague of blister beetles feeding on her milkweed. She said they had stripped the leaves in a day, and wondered if I had ever witnessed or heard of blister beetles feeding on milkweed? I had not and told her I would try to find out if this was commonplace. After asking around and submitting her image and question to a group I follow on Facebook. Turns out this is not all that uncommon, which surprised me. We know that a wide variety of insects, including monarchs and milkweed beetles are adapted to feeding on milkweed and can tolerate the toxins within the plant, and even gain some benefit from those toxins and are often inedible to predators. To have insects not typically seen on milkweed or known to feed on it, decimating it, seemed odd to me. I empathized with this person as she had planted milkweed to help the endangered monarch butterflies and in a matter of hours lost her plants to an insect often viewed as a nuisance.

There are over 2,500 species of blister beetles found throughout the World and approximately 250 species in the United States. The most common in our region are the ash-gray blister beetle, black blister beetle, striped blister beetle and the black and gray blister beetle. All have elongated body shapes with a very narrow thorax. This cylindrical shape seems to be characteristic of blister beetles. They also possess a chemical held within their legs called cantharidin. This chemical can be potentially harmful or even deadly to horses. It is believed that as few as 550 beetles, if ingested while grazing, or eating hay, can kill a foal or small horse (275 pounds or less). This is also dependent upon the species of blister beetle present and how sensitive your horse is to the chemical. For those pasturing your horses you need to be diligent and apply control measures to eliminate these beetles from your pastures, or hay fields. This same chemical is also used to create a controversial drug called “Spanish Fly.” It is this chemical that earned the beetle their common name of blister beetle. When skin comes in contact with the chemical a reaction occurs and can create painful blisters. I myself have experienced this. A few years ago, one landed on my neck, I brushed it away, but not before it released a healthy dose of cantharidin and left blisters on my neck that were painful for days. This is chemical warfare at its best in a bug-sized package. It is believed that many species may have as much as 50% more concentrations of cantharidin than other species. The striped blister beetle is one such species with higher levels of this chemical.

 

I don’t want to sound all doom-and-gloom when it comes to these insects, like nearly all bugs there is a good side. With the blister beetle it comes in the form of pest control, and in the creation of various drugs. One of which treats pox viruses like chicken pox.

The female lays clusters of eggs within the soil. When the eggs hatch, many species of these beetles seek out grasshopper eggs within the soil, or young grasshopper nymphs that are near the surface of the ground and ready to leave the soil. They will feed on these eggs and nymphs, thus controlling future populations of these often nuisance insects. Some species even feed on the eggs or larvae of other blister beetles or even bees. All blister beetles are carnivores in the larval stage. Grasshoppers can occur in near plague-like populations and wreak havoc on agricultural crops and garden produce. Not to mention their craving for screens, clothing and other non-food items that make them a pest near homes. This biological control the blister beetle provides is beneficial in helping control grasshopper population explosions. In the adult stage blister beetles feed on a variety of plants, some, but not all include carrots, soybeans, alfalfa, clover, radish, cabbage, and ornamental plants like hosta. As well as milkweed, apparently. They are also fond of pigweed, and ragweed. Keeping these noxious weeds out of your landscape can go a long way in reducing blister beetle numbers. Picking the beetles off plants and destroying will reduce numbers, especially if done before large populations are allowed to establish. Placing lime or Diatomaceous Earth near plants won’t kill the beetles but will repel them.

This year, according to several individuals I spoke to, is a boom year for blister beetles. What causes insects to have boom or bust populations from year-to-year? There are often numerous reasons, and in the case of the blister beetle, it could be the past few years of excessive grasshopper numbers. With so much food available to the blister beetle, their survival rate would be greater as would their population numbers. We also had a milder winter, and plenty of moisture early on in the spring. All of these conditions combined could have contributed to the explosion of blister beetles this year.

Love them or hate them, there is both good benefits and downright bad effects caused by the blister beetle. If you have horses and notice blister beetles in your pastures, then control may be warranted. If you have garden produce being destroyed by the adults feeding habits control may be needed. However, if the feeding is not causing issues, leaving them may be the best choice, thus allowing them to do their best work in the form of controlling those damaging grasshoppers.

 

Reddish-Brown Stag Beetle

 

On a recent trip to Alabama while walking through the woods at a historical site my husband spotted this large beetle on the ground. I stopped to pick it up and place it on a nearby wall for a few pictures. I knew immediately what it was having encountered them at home many times. The reddish-brown stag beetle (Lucanus capreolus) is one of the largest beetles in Missouri reaching lengths up to 1 ½ inches. They are indeed reddish-brown in color, with yellow-orange hairs visible around the thorax and along the abdomen. The males possess long mandibles (jaws). Their species name of capreolus comes from the Latin word for roe deer, because individuals who give names to the flora and fauna of the natural World thought those menacing looking jaws resembled roe deer antlers. Even though those jaws look fearsome, they are actually harmless. They are incapable of biting, but rather give a pinch which earned them another common name of pinching beetle. The females on the other hand have shorter mandibles, with more strength and may bite if mishandled.  

The jaws on the male are not meant for capturing prey or for eating, instead they are weapons in the mating game. Females release a pheromone into the air that males from great distances can smell. This will attract numerous amorous males to her all determined to win her attention. When rival males encounter one another, they use those large mandibles to topple over the competition in a form of a beetle WWE smack down. They will lock mandibles and shove each other while twisting and turning attempting to flip their opponent. The winner earns the favor of the female. Soon after mating the female will deposit eggs in the trunks of dying or dead trees. The larvae will feed on the remaining heart wood of the decaying tree. It may take up to 3 years for the larvae to reach the adult stage, when it will only live the for the rest of the season. The only exception would be if it is able to find a warm area like a compost pile, it may survive until the following year. Because of their preference for trees already in a state of decay they possess no threat to living trees. Adults feed on sap flows, in captivity they will readily eat diluted maple syrup or sugar water. Some will feed on the juices released by overripe fruit like fallen apples, or peaches. They do not possess any real ability to chew, instead they consume their food through the hairs near their mouth that capture the juices of their liquidy dinner.

In the larval stage they are a favorite food of raccoons, and woodpeckers that dig them out of the stumps they are feeding within. These would be the little cream filled ones Timone and Pumba favored in Lion King.  Skunks, foxes, birds, bats and frogs all eat the adults. There is a lot of protein in a beetle this large, in fact there is more protein in a large beetle than in a piece of steak the same size! Humans often pose a threat to the survival of stag beetles throughout the World. In many areas of Europe, they are protected from illegal collecting for the pet trade. Believe it or not large beetles are a black-market commodity for unethical insect collectors. This poses a serious threat to existing populations and diversity of beetles all over the World.

In addition to cracking down on the illegal collections of beetles, throughout Europe, woodland areas that are known to have populations of stag beetles need special permitting to proceed with whatever plans they have for cutting and removing trees. This ensures that beetles will survive by being moved to appropriate locations nearby. These beetles tend to bask in the sun and look for warm pavement to sit and soak up the sun’s rays. These forays into the sunshine often result in cars running them over or people trampling them. In some cases, humans deliberately kill them because of those large mandibles and ferocious appearance it gives them, not realizing this beetle is harmless and even beneficial. The constant feeding of the larvae breaks down the decaying trees returning nutrients to the soil. 

 

Stag beetles have a long and interesting history rooted in folklore. The Germans called them Donnerschroter, which translates to Thunder beetle, because of the belief that these beetles summoned lightning. Other areas of Germany believed these beetles carried burning coals into homes starting fires. Still other cultures call them Devil beetles because of their horn-like mandibles. Other parts of the World refer to them as billywitches, oak-ox, and horse pincher. We can only imagine how those names took root. By whatever name they are referred to stag beetles evoke many emotions, fear, awe and even respect. Cultures all across the world feature myths and folklore about them. Many land managers are beginning to understand the role these beetles play in the ecosystems where they occur and manage their land accordingly, by leaving stumps, and decaying trees. Next time you are considering tidying up your woodland or yard, consider leaving trees in an advanced stage of decay, including logs and stumps. The beetles, and other invertebrates who depend on them, will be grateful.

Orange-Tipped Oakworm Moth

On a recent trip to Waterloo, Alabama, I found this orange-tipped oakworm moth (anisota sexatoria) hanging out on the back of our rental. They are also referred to as the orange-striped oakworm moth or Peigler's oakworm moth, and are found from the eastern edge of the great plains to the east coast, and south to Georgia, Alabama and Texas. They are far more abundant in the Northern regions.

The stunning rusty-orange coloration bordered by a pinkish hue makes this small moth both eye-catching and memorable. Males are larger than females, and much more colorful. The smaller female is lighter in color and blends in more with the oak trees she uses as her host. Some scientists even believe that the male coloration mimics bees and wasps. This would give them a certain amount of protection from hungry birds who might find a moth tasty, but a bee formidable. Females release a pheromone to attract males, sometimes from great distances. After mating, females will lay eggs near the host tree. Oaks are nearly always chosen, especially red oaks.

Examples of Red Oak (Quercus spp.) in Missouri

1. Scarlet oak (Q. coccinea)
2. Northern pin oak (Hill’s oak, jack oak) (Q. ellipsoidalis)
3. Spanish oak (southern red oak) (Q. falcata)
4. Shingle oak (Q. imbricaria)
5. Blackjack oak (Q. marilandica)
6. Water oak (Q. nigra)
7. Cherrybark oak (Q. pagoda)
8. Pin oak (Q. palustris)
9. Willow oak (Q. phellos)
10. Northern red oak (Q. rubra)
11. Shumard oak (Q. shumardii)
12. Nuttall’s oak (Q. texana)
13. Black oak (yellowbark oak) (Q. velutina)

A couple of reports I read said they will also feed on some maple species, chestnut (which makes sense, as it is a relative to the oak), birch, hickory and hazel. I have no idea if these reports are true, as most information said their host is entirely oaks.

 The excessive hairy scales covering the body would add extra insulation against cooler temperatures, which makes since as the largest portion of their population lives in the Northern regions of the United States. In those areas huge outbreaks can occur giving them pest status. Under normal circumstances there is no lasting damage to trees. They are a late season feeder, so the trees are already fully leafed out and developed. The caterpillars are defoliators and will strip the leaves of their chlorophyll filled green parts in no time. In areas where infestations are excessive the defoliation of trees can weaken them, making them susceptible to other environmental stressors, like disease. In those situations trees may be in danger of dying.  Like all adult silk moths, they do not feed in the adult stage, instead they get all their nutrition during the caterpillar stage. As adults they have very short lifespans, and die shortly after mating. 

 Truly one of natures more beautiful creatures packed in a compact fur cover body.