Do chiggers live on Long Island? No! But lone star tick larvae do…

Many of us have had friends, family members, or neighbors who have experienced hundreds of itchy red bites around their ankles, lower legs, or even in the groin area.

Most claim they have been bitten by chiggers. But this is likely not the case! Chiggers do not exist on Long Island, but lone star tick larvae do. So, these bites are almost certainly from larval stage lone star ticks. In the Hamptons, the chiggers vs. lone star ticks contest goes to the lone star tick larvae.

What are chiggers?

Chiggers is a commonly used term for parasitic, larval stage mites from the Trombiculidae family. Chiggers are found in the southern, southeastern and midwestern United States. Importantly, Chigger bites leave small, red, itchy bumps on the skin.

These bites cluster in areas where clothing is tight against the skin, including around the genitalia, thighs, buttocks, waist, and ankles. Both the markings from and location of the bites is easily mistaken for bites from larval Lone star ticks.

According to Dr. Scott Campbell, Ph.D., the Chief of the Arthropod-Borne Disease Lab of the Suffolk County Department of Health, who has been studying ticks on Long Island since 1991, he has never come across chiggers.

What are lone star ticks?

According to the CDC, the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, is found throughout the eastern, southeastern and south-central states. The distribution, range and abundance of the lone star tick have increased over the past 20-30 years. All three life stages (larva, nymph, adult) of the lone star tick will feed on humans and may be quite aggressive. Lone star ticks will also feed readily on other animals, including dogs and cats, and may be brought into the home on pets.

The saliva from lone star ticks can be irritating; but redness and discomfort at a bite site does not necessarily indicate an infection.

Lone star ticks are named after the distinctive white dot on the back of adult females. They have a two-year life cycle.  In the summer, a hatching clutch of lone star eggs will emerge as larvae.

Clutches can number in the hundreds or thousands of individual ticks. The Larvae will feed then overwinter and emerge in the spring as nymphs.

The nymphs feed, overwinter and emerge the following year as adults. The cohorts overlap, so in the spring both nymphs and adults are active, and in the summer larvae are active. Lone star tick larvae measure between half a millimeter and a millimeter in length and have six legs (while nymphs and adults have eight legs).

Typically, lone star tick bites are found on ankles or legs up to the waist. They can end up anywhere on the body if someone has been down on the ground on the leaf litter where clutches are found.

Lone star ticks on Long Island.

Lone star ticks were first found in Montauk between the 1950s and 1970s, but  Suffolk County’s Dr. Campbell, acknowledges that they have been present with regularity since 1990. The lone star tick most likely arrived on Long Island via migratory birds and the population has exploded due to the availability of mammalian hosts, specifically white-tailed deer.

Diseases transmitted by lone star tick larvae.

Lone star ticks are notoriously known for causing the Alpha Gal allergy (commonly known as the ‘red meat allergy’). The allergy is caused when exposed to the saliva of a lone star tick and develops in response to a carbohydrate allergen.

The larvae can transmit the alpha gal sugar molecule to the human host, and the person’s immune system creates antibodies against it. Eating red meat or using products created from mammals triggers an immune response with symptoms that may include a rash, hives, difficulty breathing, drop in blood pressure, dizziness, nausea, and severe stomach pain. The more frequently you are bitten the more likely you are to develop alpha gal meat allergy.

Thankfully, this does not appear to be a lifelong allergy. The antibodies will begin to decrease overtime if you are not exposed to alpha gal again. It could take upwards of a year to three years before symptoms reside.

How to protect yourself against lone star ticks and tick-borne diseases.

Protecting yourself against the lone star tick may seem difficult. However, there are several practical ways to do so.

The number one step for protect yourself and your family from tick-borne diseases is to check yourself thoroughly for ticks every single day.  A thorough tick check after outdoor activities is the most essential defense as you can remove any ticks before they latch for their bloodmeal.

Additional steps for protection can include:

• Wear long pants and two pairs of socks. Use on long socks with the pants over them and a second pair of socks over the pants.
• Place all clothing worn outdoors in the dryer on high for 45-60 minutes after returning indoors.
• Never let pets sleep in bed with you.
• Landscape your property in a tick-safe manner, with well-maintained lawns, limited leaf litter, and clear demarcations for any heavily wooded areas (wood chips can provide a good signal barrier between lawns and wooded areas)
• Purchase and use pre-treated clothing. Many firms offer such garments.
• Engage a properly licensed pest management companies (such as Hampton Pest Management) can provide applications to perimeters and tick-friendly areas in your landscaping which provide highly effective control.

Give Lone star ticks a wide berth.

Lone star ticks are bad news, and best avoided. Though often confused for chiggers, lone star larvae deliver itchy bites, but it is the adult ticks that cause real problems.  These parasites prey aggressively on local wildlife, our pets, and us. They spread infectious diseases like ehrlichiosis and allergies like Alpha Gal. However, with common-sense tactics like wearing pants tucked into double socks, tick-wise landscaping, and calling on licensed pest control professionals like Hampton Pest Management, you can stay safe.

Sources: 

O’Reilly, Brendan J. (2020, September 3). Chiggers On Your Legs? Think Again. The Express News Group. https://www.27east.com/home-garden/chiggers-on-your-legs-nope-those-are-lone-star-tick-larvae-1720578/

Krakowski, Andrew C. (DATE).  How Do You Prevent and Treat Chigger Bites? Scout Life. https://scoutlife.org/outdoors/wilderness-first-aid-qa/29247/how-do-you-treat-chigger-bites/

James H. Diaz. (DATE) Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2015

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (DVBD)

https://www.cdc.gov/stari/disease/index.html

Photo Credit: James GathanyContent Providers(s): CDC/ Michael L. Levin, Ph. D. – This media comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Image Library (PHIL), with identification number #4407. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4389941