Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-06-22
Beware of the Chiggcr.


town and city folks focking on out
ings to the country, care should be ia
ken in visiting places where chiggers
might abound, or the outing will not
rsult in a pleasant time as had been
anticipated.
Places where grow blackberry
bushes, shrubbery, high grass and
weeds, should be avoided while on the
outing, or the little mite will soon make
its appearance felt, under the skin,
where it will remain for days and cause
much irritation.
Residents of this seton and farther
south are often subject to great an
noyance due to the attacks Of these
minute creatures, which are sometimes
called "red bugs" and incorrectly
ticks"
Chiggers usually enter the skin near
the shoe tops or at points below the
knees, but sometimes they are Jared
from bushes or small trees onto the
neck and other exposed portions.
Their habit Of burrowing under the
skin is not normal, and brings about
their death. Nevertheless, the infam-
nation thus caused may become very
painful, and where many of the crea-
lures have attacked a person this may
frequently lead to fever or aother dis
agreeable consequences.
The desire to scratch the affected
spots is very strong, and scratching
with the fingernails may easily abrade
the skin and might communicate in
lection from nails or other outside
sources, according to the Department
OF Agriculture. Children, and espec-
tally those who 90 barefoot in grassy
places, are great sufferers from this
minute enemy.
These pests are the larvae or six
legged forms of harvest mites of the
genus trombidium, the adults of which
have eight legs. The larval harvest
mites are of microscopic size, blood red
and shaped somewhat like a common
tick, being nearly as broad in front as
behind. They belong to the order AGAR
ina, and are not true insects, but are
members of distinct class along with
ticks, spiders and the like. The parent
mites are predacious on true insects
The adults are of different shades OF
red and are quite visible. Many persons
are familiar with the appearance of the
young OF certain species, as they occur
on the under surface of the bodies OF
graSshoppers and harvest spiders, OF
"daddy-longlegs" and under the wings
of the house fly. Just what species OF
harvest mites are troublesome to man
IN the United States is not known, but
one of them, perhaps the commonest
is referred to in literature as 'leptus
Soon after the mite burrows under
the human skin a small red spot an.
pears (evidently the mite itself eorped
with human blood), after which the
surrounding surface becomes conees.
ted, the affected area spreading unit,
it is from less than a fourth to a hall
or three-fourths of an inch in diameter
This congestion may manifest itself
within less than an hour after ex.
posure, or may not be apparent fol
twelve hours or so, the fever BEING
at its height usually on the second
day.
The symptoms are apt to be frs,
noticed when the sufferer has removed
his clothing at night, or upon
awakening from sleep. 1t sometimes
happens that there is little irritation
until some time after exposure, but
with most people susceptible to thhe
poisonous effects of these mites irri-
tation is first experienced on the second
day.
People with thin, delicate skin and
forid complexion are most afflicted
BY the mites, and with them the con.
geSted red spots are proportionately
irritating.
The inflamed spots due to the pres
ence of the mites under the human
cuticle are often diagnosed as hives,
nettlc rash. urticaria, or the "wheals 8,
and resemble closely those produced
on many persons by the "hites" of
feas and some mosquitoes, but on the
second or third day each Of the mite
infested areas is usually found sur
mounted at the middle bv a minute
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