Any pest experts out there

LMT10mm · Oct 13, 2015

howdy y'all,

Been having some mice problems in the house which have been getting taken care of by traps, but tonight the dogs went crazy outside and I noticed a decent size rat they were going after. After I was able to get them inside a quiet little sparrow swooped in and took it out. (It wasn't moving very fast) Anyhow, upon looking closer I observed to be what appeared to be 3 full grown "botfly" like larve coming out of it. Now it was alive prior to the rodent coming to an end, but the larve coming out just didn't seem normal. I've attached some pics, which are graphic and I apologize, but I wanted to get some insight on it . Moderators, I can remove pics if needed. ... Any info???

DuneHopper · Oct 13, 2015

I was in pest control for a few years maybe ummm 25 years ago.
The fly is not known to transmit disease-causing pathogens, and it is
normal to find attached to just about any mammal including humans.
Botflies deposit eggs on a host, or sometimes use an intermediate such as the housefly, mosquitoes, and, some species of tick.
These are often seen in horses and cows as well, finding a human with it is rare as we usually notice it.
They are more common in southern states, but with the warmer weather it wouldnt surprise me to see more around us up here. But are usually mostly warm and damp climates of the southern states.
Look like a botfly to me and that kinda odd to find one has anyone traveled, got new pets, horses, gone hunting out of state ?

LMT10mm · Oct 13, 2015

Thank you for sharing and your insight. I went bow hunting around coos bay about a month ago. The pups have been here close to a year, but nothing I would consider abnormal. I thought this was quite odd, and after I shot it I immediately observed the larve crawl out. I think the rat was on its last leg as the larve were quite big. im gonna keep an eye on the pups. Anyhow, I just really thought it was odd, and thought I'd share. Any other input is welcomed...

Member 5605 · Oct 13, 2015

That's nasty. Nature you scary!

Sure looks bot fly esque. Gross.

Edit:
I probably would have put it in a jar to see what it turned out to be.

coyotecaller · Oct 13, 2015

I used to set live traps for rats at my last work place and same parasites exited their bodies, causing the rat to die if I didn't check the trap within 48 hours or over a weekend. The rat didn't eat, so rather then starve inside, the parasite ate it's way out. Exit holes looked like .22 holes. All I can say is, they are rats… city sewer rats that carry probably not only these parasites but a bouquet of deceases too. Then some people come up with ideas, that a rat makes a good pet… Sigh! Some peoples children

Mikej · Oct 14, 2015

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!

I'm not a weenie but, AAARRRGGGG!! That is disgusting.

Gotta get Wifey in here to see that!

DuneHopper · Oct 14, 2015

coyotecaller said:
I used to set live traps for rats at my last work place and same parasites exited their bodies, causing the rat to die if I didn't check the trap within 48 hours or over a weekend. The rat didn't eat, so rather then starve inside, the parasite ate it's way out. Exit holes looked like .22 holes. All I can say is, they are rats… city sewer rats that carry probably not only these parasites but a bouquet of deceases too. Then some people come up with ideas, that a rat makes a good pet… Sigh! Some peoples children

That reminds e of when I would go to the big cities for pestcontrol we would find large warf rates that were colored like domestic ones. They would get loose and mate and you would have these cat size rats that looked like pets. The only problem doing pest control is you learn fast the places you dont want to eat at. Sanfransico was the worst city, all those vermin and nasty looking things there that come out and night. Oh and there was nasty pests to take care of too.

The B · Oct 14, 2015

etrain16 · Oct 14, 2015

Where's @ZA_Survivalist on this thread? He does pest control for a living. Let's see if tagging him will pull in his expertise.

Oh, BTW, damn!

ZA_Survivalist · Oct 14, 2015

Rodent bot fly. Granted they're really all the same.
While it seems odd, its common. Now, I havent seen three come out of a single rat at one time, heck I havent seen many infested in rats at all.

Usually outdoor but domesticated animals:
Dogs, cats, rabbits..etc.

We dont usually see stuff like this up close, but it is out there.

As for the rats lethargy, this could be a few things: old age, poison, internal organ or bone damage from a previous predatory animal, disease or another parasite ..etc.

clearconscience · Oct 14, 2015

Decon! It works great. Sticky traps work well too but a little messier.
I had a horrible mouse problem in an apt i lived in in vancouver. I was putting down sticky traps, but then I would have to smash their heads with a hammer. Felt bad at first, but after about 30 it got easier.
Started using decon and never looked back.