Help me identify these bugs my PA deer was covered in, parasitic?
12-09-2010, 06:25 AM
#11
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 7,436
Hey I learned something today - thanks!
Here is a link
http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/deer-keds
JW
Here is a link
http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/deer-keds
JW
12-09-2010, 03:59 PM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location:
Posts: 2,621
The keds I see have wings. They must lose their wings at some time in their life cycle?
I had them all over me this fall when hunting at a friend's cabin in Jefferson county.
They kept crawling aroung in my hair. Gave me the hee bee jee bees!
I had them all over me this fall when hunting at a friend's cabin in Jefferson county.
They kept crawling aroung in my hair. Gave me the hee bee jee bees!
12-09-2010, 04:38 PM
#14
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 343
Apparently they find a host deer, shed their wings, then lay single eggs at a time, the larvae hatch, find another host and lose their wings.... Nasty.
And to my knowledge, they do nothing to the meat, I'm sure most steaks we buy at the store have had a tick or two on their host.
12-23-2010, 05:34 AM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,236
Yes, they are called Deer Keds. They fly around until they find a host, and immediately shed their wings and bury themselves in the hair of the animal. Yes, they bite like a tick, and it hurts when they do. They will land on you and immediately start making their way to the highest point...your head. They love to run up your face. Had that happen many times. They don't spread disease that I know of. The deer we get in the Northern tier are polluted with them. You see hundreds on a deer and the number of ticks is substantially less.
03-03-2011, 04:18 AM
#18
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Vermont
Posts: 109
THANK YOU!!!! I don't know how much time I've spent trying to figure out what these things are. We have them in East Montpelier, VT (the only place I've ever seen them) and they like me for some reason. They land on my back / back of my neck and crawl up into my hair. Nobody else at camp has even seen one, but I'm always digging them out of my hair. Nasty little things. Sounds like I'm lucky I haven't been bit yet.
Shaun
Shaun
