The town of Fordyce, Arkansas deserves a geocache. This is
especially so, since the tiny redbug is the town's mascot. So,
let's dedicate this cache to the redbug mite, the Mighty Mite.
Many folks do not fully understand this little fellow. So, here is
a brief introduction.
These mites are of the Arachnid group that includes ticks,
scorpions and spiders. They can inhabit almost any habitat and,
like ticks, are predators. These mites are known by various names
... red bug, furniture mite, flour mite and harvest mite. Like
their cousin the tick, mites are the source of much folklore and
myth. Although the number of varieties exceed 30,000 species, there
are primarily only two species that cause problems in the (southern
and southeastern) United States.
They live in the wet meadows, briar patches, berry patches, tall
grass and weeds, woodland edges, pine straw, leaves, and treebark,
or in typical unforested habitats of their hosts.
Also known as chiggers, these critters are not insects, but the
six-legged, microscopic, larval (between egg and nymph) stage of
mites. They are parasites. Chiggers do not drink blood, or burrow
under the skin, as commonly believed. They don't bite their host,
but instead they inject a specialized mouth part into a hair
follicle and inject an enzyme that liquifies skin cells. This skin
cell "soup" becomes the meal that these creatures require to become
adults. This feeding process causes severe irritation and swelling
in the host. The severe itching is accompanied by red pimple-like
bumps (papules) or hives and skin rash or lesions on a sun-exposed
area. For humans, itching usually occurs after the larvae detach
from the skin.
Chiggers are not known for spreading from host to host. If they are
brushed off by their host, they lose their mouthparts, will not be
able to feed again, and will soon die.
Some chiggers, outside of North America, can carry diseases such as
typhus and lyme disease.
After feeding on their hosts, the larvae drop to the ground and
become nymphs, then mature into adults which have eight legs and
are harmless to humans. In the post larval stage, they are not
parasitic and feed on plant materials.
The females lay 3-8 eggs in a litter, usually on a leaf or under
the roots of a plant, and die by autumn.
Chiggers are incredibly small- about the size of the period at the
end of this sentence. It is the larval form of the species that
causes us torment.
Interestingly, we are a peripheral host, the preferred victims
being birds and reptiles. They find you by sensing increased carbon
dioxide levels as you approach, and will start running around in a
frenzy looking for a way to climb on board (they are very quick).
Once on you, they generally seek places where clothing is tight ...
ankles, back of knees, groin, and armpits are favorites. At this
point, your body goes into defense mode, walling off the enzyme in
a hardened “tube” called a stylostome. This is where the agonizing
itch comes into play. There is generally a delay of several hours
between the attachment and the onset of swelling/itching. After
feeding for a day or two, the chigger drops off it’s host, and
begins the transformation to a nymph stage, then ultimately the
adult stage (where it poses no threat to people).
The cache: you are looking for a small
Lock&Lock container. Please bring your own pen. PS: Finding
this cache will also satisfy Map 57 of the Arkansas DeLorme
Challenge (GC14TRP).
PS: Fordyce was also a home to Paul "Bear" Bryant. In 1927 as
a teenager, he wrestled a bear and picked up his nickname.
"Have a goal. And to reach that goal you better have a plan. Have a
plan that you believe in so strongly you'll never
compromise."