WILLARD BAY SWIMMERS ITCH HOW TO

What was the water temperature (if known)?Īgain, I look forward to hearing from you.Summers are perfect weather to swim, but swimming in freshwater ponds and lakes can cause a parasitical infection commonly known as Swimmer’s itch. Was the wind blowing in or out from shore?ġ2. Do you typically see ducks on your beach?ġ0. If so, how long before contacting SI did you treat?ĩ. Did you treat your beach with copper sulphate (or something else)?Ħ. information that we would like to gather is (to the best of your memory):ĥ. Send me an email with your SI experiences so we can all learn from them. Best to swim 36 to 48 hours after treatment. The WORST time to swim is the day you treat. There is a formula for figuring out the amount to use.Ĭopper Sulfate does not kill the larvae… it kills the snails that carry the larvae.Īs the snails die, they give up any larvae that they are carrying. Most beaches should require no more than 10 pounds. Just because it comes in a 50-pound bag does not mean you should use it all! That is FAR too much for one application for the average homeowner’s beach area. That method may work in much coarser format, but the finer granules will run right through the gunny sack! If you decide to treat with CS I would offer the following suggestions:ĭO NOT use the often-recommended method of putting CS in a gunny sack and dragging it through the water, especially if your CS is in the small granular form (like sugar). I have treated and STILL gotten SI! Besides that, Copper Sulfate is not good for the health of the lake, and it is very expensive. Treatment with CS is not always effective. I have treated with CS (yes, I did get a permit from the DNR). If you soak with baking soda or Epsom salt… use cold water. Hydrocortisone spray works well… no rubbing.īenadryl Extra Strength Anti-Itch cream works better than the gel. This will prevent the larvae from penetrating your skin. The larvae only live for 24 hours.īefore entering the water, be sure to lather up your legs with waterproof sunscreen, baby oil, Vaseline, or ‘Swimmers Itch Guard’. Pick up all of the snails in shallow water. However, they also state that the carrier may vary from one location to the next. I used to think that Mergansers were the culprit duck because that is what researchers in Michigan have discovered. You can be in the water all day… the problem starts within 5 minutes or so after you get out as the water evaporates.ĭo not feed waterfowl! Feeding waterfowl may aggravate the problem by concentrating potential hosts in a limited area. Shower and/or towel off thoroughly as soon as you leave the water to rub off the larvae before it fully penetrates the skin. Swim off the end of the dock or out in the middle of the lake. This is especially important when the wind is blowing toward the shore. Since itch-causing larvae usually live in the shallows near the shore, it is best to avoid these areas as much as possible. That is why the severity varies among people. It is your body’s allergic reaction to the larvae. Here is the link, and below are some recommendations to significantly reduce your chance of contracting it.

WILLARD BAY SWIMMERS ITCH HOW TO

The ‘Tip of the Mitt’ Watershed Council had a great page on what Swimmer’s Itch (SI) is, and how to prevent it. In 2020 that occurred about in the middle of June. Swimmer’s Itch is not a problem early in the year until the water warms up. Our President Ron Guggisberg has agreed to be the point person for the issue. One area of interest to homeowners on the lake is Swimmers Itch (SI) and the Swan Lake Association wants to be a resource for this issue as well.

Willard bay swimmers itch