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Fleas, Ticks, Chiggers, and other critters that bite!

We are not the only ones who have recognized the many benefits of  the climate and environment here in these mountains. Our fellow Arkansas in the lower elevations of Arkansas are besieged by mosquitoes from June until November. The elevation here and the lack of moist bottomlands here minimize the effect of mosquitoes. However, the other biting insects really thrive here, as most of you have discovered. I will cover the basics in this article without mentioning one genus or species . If you want details like that, come to the clinic or go to the library!  Most biting insects here in the village are carried into your house by your friends. Insects can find ways to enter your house, but these solo entries are the exception, not the rule. Friends that come in and out should have some type of insect preventative on them at all times. You must realize that there is no perfect solution nor magical insecticide out there. You just have to treat and prevent more frequently here than in the more northern climates because we are blessed with more warm months .  Next week I will cover the simple treatments and preventative measures that work best here in Arkansas which I have settled with for my home , having lived in Arkansas for the last fifteen years.

Fleas:  Our most prevalent biting Village insect is found on both dogs, cats, and sometimes humans. The most common fleas here are the dog and cat flea. Fleas are not fussy. They will hitch a ride on just about any warm-blooded animal in their search for their primary host, the dogs and cats, better known as “friends”,  The saliva from flea bites is very itchy (pruritic) and contributes greatly to the “itch index” for our friends. A really hungry flea may also bite you on occasion ,causing a small red bump . Fleas can live for months before they find a dinner guest. The dog and cat fleas do spend most of their time on the furry members of your household, laying their eggs on the skin and feeding on the nutrients from the blood. A female flea can lay hundreds of eggs over a period of  weeks. The larvae from the eggs feed , develop for a few weeks, and then hatch into new baby fleas. Simple math and common sense will tell you that the potential for thousands of fleas can come from a few well fed mother fleas . The eggs do fall off of your friends  to your floors, carpets, cushions, and bedclothes. Thorough house cleaning efforts will generally remove most of them. The eggs and larvae can be sucked into your vacuum. Empty the bags or the canisters often so that you will not spread them.

Ticks... are blood suckers. There are several varieties of  ticks here. The most common ones are ; brown dog tick, dog tick, and the deer tick. When ticks attach to a warm-blooded animal they generally require 3-4 days to feed and develop before they drop off the animal. The large, blood-filled ticks are females. They feed for a minimum of one week on the host. They can produce several thousand baby ticks under ideal conditions. Ticks can carry diseases for both humans and animals.  Our mild weather here provides ticks with about ten months of  activity.

Mites... These critters usually have a preference for a particular host but will bite you . The scabies and mange mites prefer dogs to just about anybody. However, the scabies mite has been known to bite humans . . . once, and leave a red spot or two on your lap or neck or wherever your friend spends some quality time with you.  The mange mite causes “red mange” only on dogs and does not bother humans.  Ear mites are very common here in both cats and dogs. They are found in the ears. I imagine that all of you have seen this in your friend’s ears when they were young. The Rabbit mite does transfer to cats and dogs occasionally, from the Village rabbit population. The “creeping dandruff” found, usually on stray dogs or cats, is simply a large population of this mite. They do occasionally bite humans. Mite bites leave red bumps on human skin, whatever their origin .

Chiggers...Most of us Northern transplants are familiar with chiggers from our summers around the woods and lawns. The peak times for chiggers up North are June-August. Add five more months here on the Village. Chiggers can live more than a year. These critters will hitch a ride on just about any warm-blooded animal until they find us. The most irritating of these is the  bright red-orange chigger mite. I have seen quite a few of them here in the exam room.

Spiders...  are very common here also. There are many varieties here in the Village. The more common ones that are known to bite are the brown recluse and the  brown spider. Spider bites on your friends are not difficult to tell from other bites. They will be individual and quite swollen. Suspected spider bites on you require a quick visit to the medical doctor.

Lice...are not very common here as they are easily eradicated by routine flea treatments and shampoos. The head lice found on cats is usually found in strays here. In fact, most of the heavily infested dogs and cats here are strays.

“Woles”: I have to comment on the larva of  a fly called the Cuterebra fly. The fly is a big woolly insect that lays eggs on grass or other objects. The larva stick to passing furry creatures and enter the body. Cats seem to be particularly attractive to this larva, which enters through cuts in the skin . Once there, the larva becomes quite large, creating a swelling and a small hole, through which you can observe the larva! Seem to be a lot of them around the Village in cats who go outside.

Bees, wasps, hornets: They are all here in large quantities. Their bites , of course, are severe and sometimes fatal. Your friends do not seem to be as susceptible to anaphylactic reactions as humans. However, that swollen face or nose is probably a sting and needs quick treatment. The stings are most commonly found on the face, but can be inflicted just about anywhere.

Mosquito bites here are less frequent, but just as itchy as anywhere else. Mosquitoes usually pick the top of the nose on cats and dogs. They are itchy but don’t swell much. Give your friends a hug for me!

DR. BOB

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