Ticks, Chiggers, and Mosquitoes, Oh My!
By RJ Ruotolo, Ozark Field Crew Member/ AmeriCorps Member
If you want to experience ticks, chiggers, or mosquitoes, the Missouri Ozarks is the place for you. From the tail end of Winter to now the coming Fall, my crew in Eminence, Missouri has battled them all. As I told a visiting Iowa crew this past week, “I’m always itchy.” Throughout the year, I’ve gathered some preventative measures to help in the day to day quarrels.
In late Winter to early Summer, after a long day in the field, I could untuck my pants from my socks and pull off 20 ticks. The Ozarks hosts three kinds of ticks: the Lone star tick, the Deer tick, and the American dog tick. According to the MDC, as well as Lyme, ticks can carry Rocky Mountain Fever, Alpha-gal red meat allergy, and other diseases and viruses. These ticks reside in woodlands and prairies and are most active April through July. While there are Permethrin-based measures to deal with ticks, a.k.a. treating your clothes with insect repellent, the best (and most affordable) way is by conducting regular tick checks and tucking in your clothes to create a barrier against them. On break times throughout the day, I’d untuck my pant legs and shirt and check those high volume areas where the clothes are snug and pick them off one by one.
Although we’re in rural Missouri, we have thousands of neighbors—chiggers. While these microscopic mites aren’t super visible, they leave a remarkable impact with their itchy welts. During their larval stages, they attach themselves to a host and feed on broken down skin cells. Their salivary secretion has digestive enzymes that cause irritation, according to Oklahoma State University. Chiggers live in brushy environments, especially during late Summer to Fall, but become inactive at temperatures lower than 40 degrees. I’ve got red welts covering my ankles, wrists, belt line, and behind my knees that I can itch for hours if left unchecked. Because these critters are near-invisible, they’re harder to combat. The best way to deal with them is by laundering your clothes at the end of the day, showering and/or wiping down big ticket areas. If it’s too late for you, calamine lotion is the way to go.
And my least favorite of all, mosquitoes. There’s nothing that can defeat me like mosquitoes, they’re relentless and are here nearly year round. They love the standing water puddles on my front porch and to drink endlessly from my bloodstream. Mosquitoes can carry Zika, West Nile, and other diseases affecting both humans and animals. On the bright side, rain and wind scares them away. So does DEET bug spray, so lay it on thick. They also like open skin, so wearing clothes that cover your skin is an easy bet.
Next time you go outside, think about me and my endless bug bites and do better. Prepare for the assault of ticks, chiggers, and mosquitoes. I hope these tips from a chronically itchy Corps member are useful to you in your next outdoor adventure.
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