The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-07-25

y
the genus Leptus and the two spe-
DR.. Clendening will answer
questions of general interest
only, and then only through
his column.
cies you are interested in are
Leptus Americans and Leptus
irritans. To you, they are just
plain chiggers.
Chiggers are found pretty
much all over the United States,
except, perhaps, in the Pacific
Coast region. | nave never heard
of them out there, but they may
be. They are found in the Atlantic
seaboard states from New York
to Georgia, and in those regions
there is only one species. In
southern and midwestern states,
as far north as Minnesota and
Wisconsin, another species is
found. They may be much more
widely distributed than that
~.' sticking to the regions where
ifc study has identified
favorite local habitat is
odlands where there is
,-.slIerable growth of underbush.
Blackberry bushes are their es-
pecially favorite haunts. They are
not found in cultivated fields or in
well kept lawns and parks. Pic
nicking sites are dandy for them,
as we all know only too we'll
river banks, around lovely little
lakes. Their distribution is pat
chy, however. Some places which
seemed ideal for them have been
combed and examined year after
year without finding any while
close by in another spot with the
same woodland characteristics
they are found in plentious
abundance.
Feeding Habits Unknown
One of the things we don't know
about them is what they feed on.
The popular belief that they live
on berries and fruit juices can
not be substantiated. The idea
that they live as parasites on
small animals also falls down.
Such small animals have been ex-
amined repeatedly without finding
any chiggers. They have been
found attached to the skin of
snakes.
The season of their activity is
from about July second to the end
of September. But they are not so
fierce as the summer wears out.
The popular belief that they
climb up the body and get on the
chest and in the armpits also
breaks down under experimental
investigation. They get into the
ankles and knees, and if you walk
waist high through bushes where
they live you will get them at the
level of contact, but the fellow
who got them under the armpit
lay down so as to give them q
good chance.
They are very small-150 mi
crons, about twenty times as big
as human red blood cell--invis-
IDLE to the naked eye though they
can be seen with a hand lens. They
pass through the weave Of any
ordinary clothing.
Attached to Skin
They do not burrow into the
skin, but sink their pincerlike
jaws into the skin and stay at
tached. They are especially likely
to seize the skin at the edge of a
hair follicle as goo place to get
a grip.
The itching to a sensitive indi-
vidual from a set of chigger bites
is almost intolerable. 1t is worst
on the third day, but lasts unless
treated for about eight days. A
widespread and serious infesta-
tion will cause fever and pros
tration although death has never
been reported. In Japan, however,
a similar mite causes the fatal
Japanese river fever.
For treatment any antiseptic
that will kill the creature, or any
anti-itching lotion is helpful. A
small bottle Of straight carbolic
and dipping the stick end Of a
match in the liquid so that it Is
just moistened and touching each
bite does the trick. The carbolic
stops itching and kills the bug at
the same time.
For prevention for those going
in the woods, sprinkling sulphur
powder with a talcum shaker
over the skin and clothing is 1907
efficient.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
E. R.: Is il safe to reduce with
a licensed physician at a clinic
using thyroid extract and will it
have any effect on the eyes?
Answer The thyroid disease
known as exopthalmic goiter
causes protrusion Of the eyeballs,
but no one has ever been able TO
produce this effect with thyroid
extract. The amount Of thyroid
extract used in reducing treat
ments is never enough, if properly