Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-07-22
GETTING RID OF
THE CHICCERS
Instructions Given BY Government
EntomOlOgists.
HOT BATHS RECOMMENDED
But DON'T DELAY THEM
Pests Related to Red Spiders
Came From Indies-Sheep's
Wool Oil Deadly to Mites.

Advocates Of restriction of immi-
grafton are being multiplied these
summer days since the government
entomoligist has declared that the
chigger, first cousin to the mosquito,
slipped into this country from the
West Indies in 1884. Picknickers,
fisherman, golfers and campers have
entertained the belief that the CHG
ger family were home products and
were indigenous to the prairies and
woods of the middle west. Recent
statements to the effect that Mr.
and Mrs. Chigger and the children
are foreigners have set experts at
work in an effort to rid the land on
the gulf coast when they migrated
from the West Indies, and immedi-
ately decided to possess the land. The
entire domain bordering on the gulf,
/ from Tampa to Galveston, will tes-
tify to the fact the chigger tribe
soon accomplished their desire. The
taste of southern blood had stirred
members of the tribe to frenzy and
they longed for new worlds to con-
quer. From the gulf they marched
in triumph up the Atlantic seaboard
to New Jersey, where many founded
homes and settled down near their
relatives, the Jersey mosquitoes.
Others went on to the Mississippi
valley and the prairies of the middle
west, where they live in happiness
now And good big family of them
struck Winneshiek county, and the
vicinity of DEBORAH, according to the
reports of picnicers and fisherman.
All the world knows how the CHG
gers operate, burrowing under the
skin and staying there. Soon little
red spots appear. Scratching on the
part of the sufferer has been known
to produce erysipelas and blood poi
soning, followed often by death.
1 ucNidlC lhNaI NiiO
chigger really is an embryo that never
got out of the chrysalis stage. He
started out to be red spider and
stopped growing at the pest stage.
Chiggers, say the entomologists, are
offsprings of red spiders which inha-
bit old stumps and logs, and feed
On a vegetable diet. Offsprings of the
red spider are divided into two clas'
ses, the bloodthirsty and the other
kind.
The other kind lives on vegeta,
Bile diet the same as his parents, bu,
the bloodthirsty must have little
meat. The former grows to be red
spider and the latter dies Satisfac-
ton can be taken by the bitten ones
ii they just reflect that for every
bite there is another dead chigger.
! Many remedies have been suggest
ed to relieve the itching sensation
caused by these little burrowers. I'm
Gle Sans entomolgists have recent
ly issued a bulletin which contains
suggestions for bringing relief.
If bath be taken in hot water,
says the bulletin, 'or water contain
ing salt or strong soap, within few
hours after exposure, no ill effects
will be experienced. After a longer
exposure a bath has no effect, and
direct remedies are necessary In
such case apply a cooling lotion of
strong ammonia, bicarbonate of soda
or common cooking soda or salera-
tus."
AS preventives of attack, outward
, application of -four or sulphur or
naphthaline are recommended. Like
wise, keep grass, weeds and useless
herbage moved as closely a possible,