Summer 2020 is starting off to be a very bad year for swimmers itch.  Some years this irritating and painful rash (from parasite) isn’t much of a problem; other years, it’s prevalent.  2020 is not a good year. A new DLIA Task Force co-chaired by Kim and Ed Grant has been formed to identify and evaluate cost options for mitigating the problem of Swimmers Itch at Douglas Lake.  As a first step, Kim is “fact finding.”
      If you or family members/visiting friends, et al. have experienced swimmers itch this summer please report this to itch@douglaslake.org. Kim requests that you report the date, approximate lake location where exposure to the parasite might have occurred (e.g. swimming around North Fishtail Bay or playing in shallow water around Silver Strand location X) and severity of rash.

Tips for Preventing Swimmers’ Itch

• Since itch-causing larvae usually live in the shallows near the shore, it is best to avoid these areas as much as possible. This is especially important when the wind is blowing toward the shore.
• Towel off thoroughly as soon as you leave the water and at frequent intervals. The fragile cercaria of some species can sometimes be rubbed off before they fully penetrate the skin. 
• Do not feed waterfowl! Feeding waterfowl may aggravate the problem by concentrating potential hosts in a limited area.
• Maintain a healthy greenbelt along your shoreline property with a variety of native plants (including trees, shrubs, and herbaceous     plants) to prevent waterfowl from congregating on your property. Shading of near shore areas as a result of a shoreline greenbelt     will also help reduce the amount of bottom-dwelling algae growth, which is a primary food source for the type of snails that are commonly hosts in the schistosome cycle.