Info on chiggers from AgriLife Entomologist, Wizzie Brown

Ahhhh....the joys of rain.  While we haven't had rain in the past week, we are still dealing with the rain the we got in May.  I've been getting a lot of questions about mosquitoes of course.  I've also been getting questions on chiggers.  This is one that we really haven't had to deal with since it's been on the dry side.

Chiggers are the larvae, or immature stage, of a mite. These larval mites climb onto people when they walk through infested areas. The chiggers climb up the person's body seeking out a suitable feeding spot. They prefer to feed in areas where skin is thinnest or where clothing fits tightly. This often leads them to ankles, waist area, behind the knees, armpits and the groin area.

Chiggers do not- let me say that again....DO NOT- burrow into the skin as many people believe. "Smothering" them by painting the bite area with nail polish will not do anything to relieve discomfort. Instead of burrowing, chiggers inject a digestive enzyme into the skin which breaks down skin cells. The chiggers eat the broken down skin cells. Itching and redness from chiggers is caused by the body's reaction to the enzymes chiggers inject. Itching typically begins 3-6 hours after being bitten, peaks at 24 hours and may last up to 2 weeks.

Try to avoid chigger infested areas. If that is not possible, then here are some suggestions:

• wear protective clothing: tightly woven items that fit loosely that include long sleeves and pants with shoes and boots
• tuck pant legs into boots
• avoid sitting on the ground
• remove and launder clothing ASAP after being in infested areas
• shower/ bathe after being in infested areas; scrub vigorously with a washcloth
• before entering chigger infested areas, use an insect repellent with DEET or picaridin

To treat chigger infestations around the home, try the following:

• keeping the lawn mowed
• maintain vegetation; do not allow vegetation to grow high and keep brush cleared
• fill in any low lying areas that remain damp or moist
• try treating with residual pesticide sprays (pyrethroids)- read and follow all label instructions!

Floods, Crop Newsletter & Horn Flies

Greetings All,

Well, I said I was going to try to change my ways and use a different format for our blog.  Needless to say it didn't work.  I am no tech whiz, so we will go back to this format for a while.  To catch you up on what's going on...it's raining, in case you've been living in a cave. 

Suffered Ag Loss in Storms?

If you suffered from agriculture losses from flooding, not including horses or fences in a flood zone, please let me know - as we need to report that to the USDA (FSA).  Just e-mail me: jzansley@ag.tamu.edu and I will put you in touch with our FSA representative for Travis County.  If you already reported damages to him...Thank you! 

If you do not reside in Travis County, but need assistance, I will be glad to put you in touch with your local USDA office.

Row Crop Newsletter

The fine folks at Texas A&M AgriLife started a row crop online newsletter.  It can be subscribed to, just like you did this blog, or you can just go check on it: http://agrilife.org/texasrowcrops/
Once you're on the website, check out the "current articles" tab for great info that came out today! 

Their current articles include:
- How Waterlogged Soils Impact Cotton Growth and Management Decisions
- Impact of Ponded Water/Flooding on Corn & Sorghum
- Updated Texas A&M AgriLife Weed Control Guides: Grain Sorghum, Sunflower
- Pre-Harvest Sprouting Threatening 2015 Texas Wheat Crop

Attention Wheat Farmers:

You will be receiving a few pieces of mail from me in the next few days, in snail mail.  Find the letter-opener that you have hidden somewhere...  If you somehow didn't get on the list, I sent the following print outs to those on our mailing list:

http://agecoext.tamu.edu/resources/library/newsletters/food-and-fiber-economics/

Horn Fly Control in Cattle

A few weeks ago I started a Horn Fly result demonstration with a cooperator in East Travis County under the guidance of Dr. Sonja Swiger, AgriLife Veterinary Entomologist.  We are testing 3 different types of Horn Fly ear tags efficacy.  Even though we've only had the program going a few weeks, we are already seeing one brand taking the lead.  I will leave that as a teaser; the true test will be how long they last.  We are treating all the herds under the same management practices and in neighboring pastures.