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Squirrel Bot Fly Parasites: What They Are

Bleeding lumps on squirrels in fall are caused by bot fly larvae (warbles). Flies lay eggs in soil; larvae attach to squirrels, burrow under skin, and emerge in October to pupate.

Outlook

Distressing but usually not fatal. No practical treatment exists. Most squirrels recover.

Warning: Bot fly images are graphic.

About Gardening: Mothballs for Squirrels? Save Your Soil and Your Sanity; Albino Squirrel Visits Yard; Squash Bug Damage Causes Bumpy Skin on Young Fruit; Fig Sap Sensitivity: A Real and Painful Phototoxic Reaction; Squirrel in the Attic: Why Repellents Fail and What Works; Why Squirrels Lick Mortar and How to Redirect Them; Bot Fly Larva in a Mouse: Identification and Life Cycle; Relocating Trapped Squirrels: Often a Death Sentence; The Mysterious Light Fly: A Beneficial Predator of June Beetles; Where Do Squirrel Droppings Go? (And Other Squirrel Mysteries)

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