Maggot Season

[BuckeyeSqrl]

Well,

Maggot season is officially here (unfortunately). A neighbor brought me a female she found on the sidewalk. She looks to be about 3 weeks old. Once I got her warmed up, I noticed maggots coming from her anus. Her stomach also had fly eggs on it.

Just a word of warning to everyone. When you get in babies when it is this warm, the first thing to look for are fly eggs on the skin and maggots coming from any opening on the body. They usually try to get out when you get the babies on heat.

There is also a new drug, called CapStar, that will kill living maggots in the body. For a squirrel weighing 62 grams, you give 1/4 tablet twice daily until all maggots are gone. That sure beats picking them out of openings with tweazers!! Also, remove all fly eggs from the body before they hatch. They kind of look like dried milk on on the skin.

I was hoping not to have to deal with maggots until later in the summer, but they're here in Ohio now.......

[island rehabber]

:goodpost Great info...and Capstar is awesome. My vet said we can even give it to pinky squirrels if necessary.

[Momma Squirrel]

Buckeye that is great to know about CapStar but our problem is how do you treat the poor little guys in the wild? I feel so sorry for them, nature can be cruel and why does it pick on our squirrels?? Our season doesn't get here till August/sept. It is already very hot here so hopefully we don't have an early season or one that hits twice, that would be terrible.

[BuckeyeSqrl]

Nature is cruel when it comes to maggots. I've found that they lay eggs on animals they think will die soon. Unless we can get them in our care, I don't know what we can do.

If you're in Florida, I would think your maggot season would be in full swing since I'm in Ohio and am already experiencing them. It is a bit early for second season babies, must have been a late first season mom.

[Squerly]

If you're in Florida, I would think your maggot season would be in full swing since I'm in Ohio and am already experiencing them. I'm in Flordia and I've not see any sign of them yet but I'm thinking that any day now...

[BuckeyeSqrl]

The Capstar did the job. She's gained 5 grams and she's maggot free! Things are looking good for her!!!

[island rehabber]

The Capstar did the job. She's gained 5 grams and she's maggot free! Things are looking good for her!!!

:goodpost YAY!!

[Momma Squirrel]

Great news Buckeye, hope she continues to grow and stay free of any parasites :wahoo Keep us posted.

[thundersquirrel]

ugh, maggots.

it's so disgusting.....we thought that the baby girl with the fistula on her bottom had maggots, cause we assumed a bug created the hole. luckily there were no maggots.

maggots tend to go to babies, though, right? unless it's an adult that's seriously injured?:dono

[BuckeyeSqrl]

She gained another 5 grams yesterday!! Things are going very well!!

Flies lay their eggs on anything they think is going to die. Infants lying on the ground alone are prime targets. The flies lay the eggs all over their body, even in their mouths. If they hatch and are left untreated, the animal will be eaten alive (or dead) by the maggots.

For an adult to have fly eggs, the adult would have to be pretty hurt or sick.

[gingershoppin]

OK, All this talk about MAGGOTS, the "thing" I hate most, is scaring me. I have a young indoor southern flying squirrel. Do indoor squirrels have problems with maggots? I'm kinda' freakin' out here!! YUCK!!! Ginger Chas. SC

[Mars]

Flies lay there eggs on open wounds. If your baby is unharmed and housed inside it is unlikely you would have such a problem. :)

[TexanSquirrel]

Yuck Yuck Yuck!