Bugs on Geese

Observation: There were about 15-20 of these bugs around, but, we did not check inside the goose. In a video I was asking my husband to open it up but he refused because we have not seen this before crawling all over. We have been hunting geese since we were kids and have never seen bugs like this, ever... Its been over a year ago and since then I've learned how to handle an animal now. Heather Dingman with, Linda Agnasagga, Barrow resident.

Cooperative Extension Service Consult: Jessie Moan, Forest Health Technician writes, “The insects on the goose are some kind of aquatic beetle, it is not clear enough from the photos exactly which species, though. It is not common for these kinds of beetles to be found on living birds, but a lot of them are predatory or scavengers so it would not be unexpected to find them on a dead bird, especially one that had been in the water for 6 hours or so. The good news is, there is no reason to believe that there is a new insect in your area. These types of beetles are very common throughout Alaska. Also, there is no reason to think there is a new type of goose or bird pest based on this finding. I think the beetles found the animal in the water and took advantage of the opportunity. I also don't think that if you had opened up the goose these beetles would have done any damage to the inside of the bird or made it so that it could not be eaten.” Source: University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)

Thank you Jessie and Derek Sikes, Curator of Insects, Associate Professor of Entomology, University of Alaska Museum of the North on this inquiry.