Are Potato Bugs (Jerusalem Crickets) Poisonous? - ProGardenTips (2024)

Potato bugs are creepy little critters that live in the soil of our gardens. These insects have a very unpleasant appearance. By their looks alone, you could be concerned over the possible harm this bug can do to your family and pets. But should you be worried about this bug?

Potato bugs (Jerusalem Cricket) are not poisonous to humans or animals. If the bug is eaten or the bug bites you or your animals, you will have no negative side effects. The bite of the Potato bug is extremely painful and prone to infection, so if you are bitten, you need to keep the wound clean, but you will be fine.

Related: Are Ladybugs Poisonous?

Are Potato Bugs Poisonous To Humans?

Potato bugs otherwise known as Jerusalem Crickets are a creepy 2-inch-long insect that has a pretty displeasing appearance that is sure to make you run away from it if you ever see it. These creepy crawlies are mainly found in gardens, where their food source is: plants.

These bugs will eat away at almost any plant they come across and will do a lot of damage to the plants and cause stunted plant growth.

These bugs are nocturnal creatures that go by an array of other names that seem more appropriate to the bug’s appearance, like devil’s spawn or earth fetus. These insects are prevalent all across the Western United States, so you are bound to encounter this bug at some point.

See Also

Potato Bug Bites - Are They Poisonous?

This can make you worry about the health of your family and your children as everyone has a higher chance of encountering this bug more and more.

This does mean that there is a higher chance of the bug being ingested accidentally by children, or the bug being disturbed in your garden by your children who are playing, or you who are doing some garden maintenance.

So, do you need to be worried about your family’s health and safety regarding the Potato bug? Potato bugs are not poisonous to humans in any way. Whether you eat the bug or the bug bites you, you will not have any bad reactions to the Potato bug.

So, you do need to worry about your children or yourself if the Potato bug bites you, or you accidentally eat the bug. However, these bugs have relatively strong jaws, and their bites can be quite painful when they first happen.

This pain can be pretty bad for some people, but it is usually determined by where the Potato bug has bitten you and the sensitivity in that area.

Are Potato Bugs Poisonous To Dogs?

Now that you are aware of the safety of your family when it comes to consuming or receiving a bite from the Potato bug, you may switch gears and be speculating about the health and safety of your little furry friend and what harm these bugs can pose to them.

There are so many bugs and insects in the world that are poisonous to dogs; you need to try and help your dog avoid these poisonous bugs to ensure the safety of your dog’s health.

As Potato bugs are increasing in population and they seem to be living in almost every garden, including your own garden, as these bugs tend to wander pretty far during their life cycles, and all this can raise a few concerns about the safety of your dog with these bugs.

Thankfully, Potato bugs pose no threat to your dog’s life as they are not poisonous to dogs; through either ingestion of the bug or the bug biting the dog, your dog should recover well.

You should still try and avoid these bugs encountering your dog as they will bite your dog if they feel cornered or threatened by your dog.

If your dog is bitten by one of these bugs, the bite can be extremely painful for your dog, and you will need to treat the bite to ensure it does not get infected.

Are Potato Bugs Poisonous To Cats?

With the number of Potato bugs showing up around your neighborhood and possibly even in your own garden at home, this can cause you to be concerned over the health and safety of not only your dog but your cat as well.

This is because most people have little to no say over where their cat wanders around most of the time, which translates into what their cats try to eat and what they encounter on their travels.

Who knows what your cat gets up to while they are off on their adventures around the block, and with the number of bugs in the world that are toxic to cats, the increasing population of Potato bugs in your neighborhood may have you concerned for the safety of your cat while it’s traveling without you.

Potato bugs are not poisonous to cats; whether the cat kills and eats the bug or the bug bites the cat, your cat should be fine. As difficult as it is, you should still try and keep your cat away from the Potato bug as they will bite your cat if they feel threatened.

This bite will be painful for your cat, and you should treat the bite properly to avoid it from getting infected, but your cat should recover quickly with no negative side effects.

Are Potato Bugs Poisonous To Livestock?

Dog and cat owners in urban and surrounding areas are not the only animal owners worried about the increasing populations of the Potato bugs that seem to be popping up everywhere.

People who own livestock, like cows, chickens, sheep, and goats, are just as concerned for the health and safety of their livestock when it comes to the Potato bug as these bugs can be eaten accidentally as the animal’s graze, or they can be disturbed and bite the livestock.

Potato bugs are not poisonous to any animal; whether the animal accidentally eats the bug, or the bug bites the animal, your livestock will still live. As difficult as it can be, you should still try and keep your animals away from the Potato bug as they will bite the animal if they feel threatened.

This bite will be painful for all animals that are inflected by it, and you should treat the bite properly to avoid it from getting infected, but all animals that are bitten should recover quickly with no negative side effects.

How Do You Treat A Potato Bug Bite?

Once the Potato bug has bitten you or your animal, the pain will go away within the first 30 minutes or so of the bite occurring. The main threat you or your animals will face after this is an infection of the wound.

You need to clean the wound area properly with soap and water. If the bite is itchy and there is still pain after you have cleaned the wound, you can apply some apple cider vinegar to the area as this has antimicrobial properties that will help you avoid infections.

You need to keep the wound clean for several days until it begins to heal well. If an infection develops in the bite wound, you will need medical assistance.