Blister beetles carry a very powerful and toxic poison called cantharidin, but unlike other types of insects, it does not deliver its most toxic poison through biting. The cantheradin is found on the beetles exoskeleton and actually causes blisters to form on skin that it comes into contact with. Male blister beetles share the cantharidin toxin with the female during the mating process by using it to cover their eggs to protect them from predators.

This poison is a significant problem for animals that eat hay, particularly alfalfa, since blister beetles like to eat alfalfa as well. When the crops are harvested, the beetles are often killed in the process and contaminate the crops with their body parts and fluids. This causes illness in the animals that eat the contaminated feed. Cured hay does not lose toxicity, nor does the age of hay affect its levels of cantharidin.

Once infected crops are eaten, the beetles can cause severe skin inflammation and blisters. When it becomes absorbed by your intestines, cantharadin can even cause high temperature, depression, increased heart rate and respiration, dehydration, sweating, and severe diarrhea. If ingested by a horse, their calcium level drops in addition to disintegration of heart muscle tissue. This toxin becomes deadly when a sufficient quantity is ingested. The poison from 50 beetles is enough to kill a horse! Dead or alive the beetles poison remains at toxic levels, especially when ingested. Horses often eat the beetles in their hay feed and can get fairly sick, even die from eating too many beetles in their feed.

Our Beetle Detox Remedy works to antidote cantharidin.

Remember that our Liquid Detox is one of the most effective remedies for treating/healing bites and wounds. It is powerful at helping reduce pain, swelling and itching, and is very effective at preventing infection. You can apply it directly to the bite or wound or soak the absorbent part of a band aid (3-5 drops) in Liquid Detox and apply it to the bite or wound.