#Chiggers vs swimmers itch skin

The focus of the Higgins Lake Foundation and its many projects has been to protect the health of the lake. There are also several brands of SwimmersвЂ™ Itch Guard which may be purchased locally or at the HLF office in Roscommon.

#Chiggers vs swimmers itch skin

Most people are able to prevent SwimmersвЂ™ Itch by applying a protective layer of lotion or baby oil to the skin before entering the water. The Higgins Lake Foundation urges people to use preventative methods to avoid SwimmersвЂ™ Itch. All we can do is try to reduce its effects.вЂќ It is impossible at this point in time to eliminate SwimmersвЂ™ Itch. Blankespoor, вЂњPeople need to think in terms of management, not eradication. His opinion is reiterated by a publication from the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council which states, вЂњDespite the application of tens of thousands of pounds of copper sulfate in some lakes in the past 50 years, the occurrence and severity of SwimmersвЂ™ Itch has not noticeably diminished.вЂќДЇurthermore, a publication titled вЂњSwimmersвЂ™ Itch in MichiganвЂќ published by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality states that вЂњthere are indications the dying snails release large numbers of cercariae. If that happens, you would be looking at MAJOR changes in Higgins Lake.вЂќ All it would take would be for conditions to change slightly (e.g., the lake water to get more acidic) and all that added copper would precipitate out. More importantly you would be introducing a massive amount of an inorganic metal that will stay in solution as long as the lake water doesnвЂ™t turn too acidic. There would be a lot of вЂcollateral damageвЂ™ to uninfected animals (snails and plants, and in turn the fish that indirectly rely on both these organisms). вЂњAnd using that much copper sulfate leads to the second major drawbackвЂ¦the potential damage (short-term andВ long-term)В to the entire Higgins Lake ecosystem. There are hundreds of thousands of snails in Higgins Lake, and with 1-2% carrying the parasite that causes SwimmersвЂ™ Itch, you are going to need literally tons of copper sulfate to kill enough snails to make a difference. Blankespoor, вЂњThere are two very large drawbacks in using copper sulfate to control SwimmersвЂ™ Itch.

Blankespoor points out, вЂњSince only about 2% of the snail population is infected with the SwimmersвЂ™ Itch parasite as opposed to 80-90% of the merganser duck population, it is not a particularly good use of resources nor an effective means of treatment for the parasite.вЂќДЄccording to Dr. While itвЂ™s true that copper sulfate kills snails, it also kills many other microorganisms in the ecosystem. He has studied SwimmersвЂ™ Itch for the past ten years and warns against the practice of using copper sulfate to kill snails which are the intermediate hosts in the life cycle of swimmerвЂ™s itch. Curtis Blankespoor, is a Professor of Biology at Calvin College and the University of Michigan Biological Station. Although this method is still used, fewer lakes are requesting permits because of the uncertainty of long-term consequences to a particular lake and because the results are unpredictable.Дr. He has studied SwimmersвЂ™ Itch for 50 years and is now retired, but his website states:ДЇor more than 50 years, the application of copper sulfate as a molluscicide was used on some of the larger recreational lakes to break the life cycle by killing the snail intermediate hosts. Harvey Blankespoor, Professor Emeritus at Hope College. The Higgins Lake Foundation is currently funding a study of SwimmersвЂ™ Itch in Higgins Lake conducted by scientists from MSU and had previously funded a study by Dr.

The Higgins Lake Foundation does not endorse the practice of individuals adding chemicals to the lake for any reason, and research indicates that the application of copper sulfate in particular is not only toxic but also ineffective as a means of controlling SwimmersвЂ™ Itch.