To the Editor:
I appreciated your recent article on ticks, chiggers, and oak mites.
However, I fear that all the talk about oak mites is a red herring, leading people to focus on the wrong problem.
All of the available evidence suggests that the recent reported rash (pun intended) of bites are larval lone star bites:
- The great majority of lone star larvae hatch in August and September, which is also when most people report being bitten. Chiggers are more active in the spring.
- Up until about five years ago, lone star ticks were concentrated up-Island and on Chappy. In the past 3 years they have spread to down-Island, and are now common even in Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, and Edgartown. This spread coincides with the rise in reported bites across the Island.
- Most of the reported bites are around people’s ankles. Larval lone star ticks are down low; we are even finding them in lawns. Oak mites live in trees; while they may be blown by the wind, there is no reason to think they would be concentrated around the ankles.
- There is no credible evidence that we even have European oak mites on the Island.
So until there is new evidence, I think it is safe to assume that the bites are from lone star larvae. The best prevention against the larvae is to wear permethrin-treated socks. You can buy permethrin spray and treat your socks yourself, but I prefer to buy pretreated socks from Insect Shield, since the treatment lasts through a whole season’s worth of washing.
You can order the socks online at insectshield.com. They are also often available at Basics in Oak Bluffs and Brickmans in Vineyard Haven.
If you don’t want to wear socks, the next best thing is to spray your ankles and lower legs with deet. However, to be most effective, it should be 25 percent to 40 percent or more deet, such as Off! Deep Woods. Concentrations of more than 40 percent cost more, and have not been shown to increase effectiveness, while concentrations below 25 percent are not as effective.
If you have questions you can reach Patrick Roden-Reynolds, the director of the M.V. Tick Program, or myself at mvticks@gmail.com.
Richard Johnson, former director
M.V. Tick Program
