We have a great opportunity Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at the Texas AgriLife Research Center (1229 N. US -281 in Stephenville). Registration will start at 8:30 with the program starting at 9:00 followed with lunch at noon.
Topics will include Animal ID and Livestock Movement Guidelines with Trevor Powe Texas Animal Health and Dustin Dorris, Equine Vet; Internal and External Parasites, Sonjia Swiger, Texas AgriLife Entomologist; Bobcat Equipment / Demonstration – Mechanical brush control; Bayer Chemical Update – Rayford Pullen; NRCS/ FSA Update.
There will be a $10.00 registration fee. Private Applicator License holders will receive two ceu’s.
Please RSVP at 254-9651460 by June 14th to help us get a meal count.For any special accommodation, contact the office 2 weeks prior to the event.
Chigger season tips to beat the itch There are a few things people should know about these tiny biting pests that might help them avoid a big itch, said Bryant McDowell, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service integrated pest management program specialist and entomologist.
What you need to know about chigger bites Victims of their bite know the unrelenting itch that follows. But they may not know the details of how these pests spread their misery.
These near-microscopic mites hitch a ride, where they move along their host’s body to a feeding site and attach to the skin. Chiggers tend to settle in areas where clothing fits tightly to the body like socks and waistlines or in moist areas like armpits or behind the knees.
They do not burrow into the skin, nor do they feed on blood. Instead, they inject saliva into the upper layers of the skin. The saliva contains enzymes that dissolve skin cells enabling the attached chigger to suck up the dissolved cells and lymph.
Over the chigger’s feeding period, the process of salivation and drinking or sucking of the dissolved skin cells is repeated many times creating a tiny tube through the skin layers.
Our bodies react to the enzymes and feeding process with an itching, allergic reaction producing inflammation typically with redness, swelling and sometimes welts.
The itch and other reactions to the chigger bites typically occur several hours after the chiggers have fed and detached. Thus, we are left with treating the itch, inflammation and potential secondary infections with over-the-counter medications.
The bites are itchy for a few days and can take up to two weeks to disappear, McDowell said.
“There are a number of ways you can try to relieve the itch, but once you’re bitten there is no stopping the reaction,” he said. “The deal is done. So, the best practice is avoidance and prevention.”
Avoiding habitats with high probabilities of supporting chiggers, using preventive measures with repellents, appropriate clothing and post-exposure cleansing can reduce the impacts of chiggers.
Chigger infestations can be random, “wrong place at the wrong time,” occurrences for hikers, trail walkers or anyone venturing off the beaten path, McDowell said. Often, they prefer undisturbed, unkept areas with taller grasses, vines and other low-growing plants. The vegetation provides cover for host animals of chiggers and protection from sunlight and heat.
McDowell said those overgrown areas, especially when combined with moisture, can create ideal conditions for infestations. So, he cautions about areas with tall grass around ponds, creeks and rivers as they could be problematic.
Managing vegetation to prevent chigger harborage in areas with high human use such as parks or around homes can reduce exposure. But occasionally even manicured lawns can harbor chiggers under the right conditions, McDowell said.