Wooden Nickel

Kathy and I decided to add something to each of our caches. We created a wooden nicklelthat says "Historic Places of Camden County". There a handful of these in each of our caches which are used as swag. We made the nickles from a website we found through google. There are tons of sites you can use to design youre nickel We used http://www.wooden-nickel.com/. From there we clicked on many different nickel options on the site. We finally decided to create the one pictured above. We got a ton of them for a great price.

Common Abbreviations

CITO- "Cache in, Trash Out". The act of removing and desposing of trash you may find while searching for a cache. CITO is also a special type of event cache, where cachers get together to clean up a park or public space.
CO- "Cache Owner"
DNF-"Did not find"
FTF- "First to find" The person to first find the cache after it has been placed.
GZ-"Ground Zero" The point where the coordinates displayed on your GPS exactly math the coordinates given for a cache.
LPC- "Lamp post cache" A very common hiding place for micro-caches, this exploits the fact that the shround on a lamp post that cover the anchor bolts are usually not secured, and can be lifted
up to provide a hiding place.
P&G- "Park & Grab" A easy-to-find cache that you can get very close to your car.
SL- "Signed log"
SPOILER- An online log entry that may give away the location of a cache, or in some other way spoil" the caching experience for others.
SWAG- Free promotional items that you might get at a trade fair; trade items
TB- "Travel Bug" An item that travels from cache to cache and has a tracking number. You pick up the travel bug and continue to place it in other caches.
TFTC-"Thanks for the cache"
TNLN- "Took nothing, left nothing"
TNLNSL- "Took nothing, left nothing, signed log"

Missing Cache

Cachers call people who don’t geocaches a “muggle”. When a geocaches goes missing they say that it’s been “muggled”. I received a number of emails from people searching for three of my caches. I went out to look to see if they were accidentally moved and couldn’t find them. Rather than replace them I chose to “archive” the cache. That means that theses caches are no longer there so people won’t go look for them.

Geocache Types

There are many different types of geocaches. Some are larger than others and some are virtual. A tradition geocache is the original cache type that consists of a minimum of a container and log book. Normally you'll find a tupperware container, ammo box, or bucket filled with goodies or a smaller container to small to contain anything but a log book. These caches have one set of coordinates. A multi-cache involves two or more locations, the last one being the container. These types of caches vary, usually the second gives hints about the third, and soo on. A mystery or puzzle cache contains a difficult puzzle that you will have to complete in order to find the coordinates. A letterbox hybrid is a mix between a geocache and a letterbox, which involves the passing of stamp prints. An event cache is ocassional organizations for local geocachers set at a time and location to discuss geocaches. A mega-event cache is similar to the last but much bigger and attracts geocachers from all over the world.

Annoyed

I’ve written letters to a bunch of mayors and companies asking permission to hide caches but have not heard back from a lot of them. I think that its rude. If they don’t want to participate in this project they could be nice and let me know. K

Logging a Find

After you have found a cache, you are going to want to log that you found it. This means that you let the owner of the cache know you found it.

1. Visit geocaching.com and log in using your username and password.
2. Visit the geocache detail pge for the geocache you found.
3. In the top right corner of the page, click 'log your visit'.
4. From the 'type of log' drop down menu, select 'found it'.
5. Eneter the date of your geocache find.
6. Enter any comments you wish to share.
7. Select any trackable items (from he inventory box) that you dropped off in the geocache with your find.
8. Click 'submit log entry'.

Events

Geocaching has three types of “events” – or reasons for a group of geocachers to get together:

· Event caches are when local geocachers get together for either a specific purpose or to just discuss geocaching.
· Mega-Event is similar to an event cache but is a much larger event – attracting geocachers from all over the world to a specific location.
· CITO, or Cache In Trash Out, is when a group of geocachers meet at a specific location where the primary goal is to pick up trash in a specific area.

A regular event is being held on Saturday, September 18th at the Timber Creek Park in Chews Landing. Earlier this week I had hid a cache at St. John the Evangelist Church and two at Timber Creek Park. I hid another one today. The CO (cache owner) holding this event is happy that the people coming to his event will have some caches that they can find while they attend this event (the event is being held to raise money to donate for cancer research for dogs). K

Cache Containers

There are all kinds of cache containers. Originally we wanted to only use the lock-n-lock containers that we camouflaged. But sometimes these bigger boxes don’t work. So we got tiny magnetic containers that are called a “nano”. We also bought magnetic “hide a key” containers. K

CCHistorics

Our username for the geocaching website is CChistorics. This stands for Camden County Historics. All the caches we have placed and are placing are in Camden County, NJ. The caches explain the history of its location. We have gotten permission to place all of our caches. Go check us out and see if you can find our geocaches.

Hiding Your Own Caches

After you have become more familiar with geocaching, you can hide your own. First you are going to think of good places to hide a cache. Most people hide there caches in a place that is interest of them. Before you pick a place, make sure it follows geocaching guidelines. You are also going to think of a cache name.

Now you are going to create the cache. To create a regular sized cache, buy a lock and lock container and spray paint it green or brown. This will help camoflauge the cache. Next you are going to take a zip-lock bag and put inside it a small notebook and pen. This will help keep items dry incase of a water leak. On the first page of the notebook, write the name of the cache. Put the ziplock bag in the container along with swag. Swag is anything small enough to fit in the container to use as trade items. You can use small toys, coins, etc.

Once you have the location picked and cache made, you are ready to hide your cache. Make sure you have your GPS ready. When you get to the location, put the GPS in the exact spot where the cache will be. Find the coordinates and write them down. Place the cache where the GPS was and you are finished.

When you get home, you can publish and submit your cache. Go to http://www.geocaching.com/ and follow the link (on left hand side) that says "Hide & Seek A Cache." The blue box on the right is where you hide a cache. Follow the easy intructions and your cache will be made public to all other geocachers.

Barrington

When I asked Mayor Rink of Barrington for permission to hide a geocache in his city as part of this project, not only did he give me his permission – he sent me a copy of an Eagle Scout written report done years ago about an airport that was once in Barrington. Mayor Rink suggested that I put a cache there. I thought that it was a neat idea combining the top Boy Scout and top Girl Scout awards so I placed a cache there today. K

Poison Oak - A Hazard of Cacheing

Poison oak is a deciduous (loses leaves in winter), woody plant that can have a shrub or vine form. In open areas under full sunlight, poison oak forms a dense leafy shrub usually 1 to 6 feet in height. In shaded areas, such as in coastal redwoods and oak woodlands, it becomes a much taller climbing vine, supporting itself on other vegetation or upright objects by means of aerial roots.

Leaves normally consist of three leaflets with the stalk of the central leaflet being longer than those of the other two; however, occasionally leaves are composted of five, sever or nine leaflets. Leaves of true oaks, which are superficially similar, grow single, not in groups. Poison oak leaves are alternate on the stem. Each leaflet is 1 to 4 inches long and smooth with toothed or somewhat lobed edges. The diversity in leaf size and shape accounts for the Latin term diversilobum in the species name. The surface of the leaves can be glossy or dull, sometimes even somewhat hairy, especially on the lower surface. In spring, poison oak produces small, white-green flowers at the point where leaves attach to the stem. Whitish-green, round fruit form in late summer. In early spring the young leaves are green or sometimes light red. In late spring and summer the foliage is glossy green, and later turns attractive shades of orange and red.

IMPACTAlthough a native, poison oak can be found in great abundance where established vegetation is disturbed, particularly along roadsides, in uncultivated fields, and on abandoned land. It is also a problem in wood lots, Christmas tree plantations, rangeland, and recreation areas. While it can reduce optimal grazing area in rangeland or pastures, the primary concern associated with poison oak is the allergic reaction it causes in many people.

All members of the genus Toxicodendron, including poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac, cause allergic contact dermatitis. About two million cases of skin poisoning are reported in the United States each year, primarily caused by these three species. In California, the number of working hours lost as a result of dermatitis caused by poison oak make it the most hazardous plant in the state.

Contact with poison oak leaves or stems at any time of the year can cause an allergic response. When the allergen contacts the skin surface in sensitive individuals, it is rapidly absorbed into the surrounding cells. Within 1 to 6 days, skin irritation and itching will be followed by water blisters, which can exude serum. Contrary to popular belief, the exuded serum does not contain the allergen and cannot be transmitted to other regions of the body or other individuals. The dermatitis rarely lasts more than 10 days.

Although 50% of the population is clinically sensitive to poison oak and poison ivy, about 75 to 85% can potentially develop allergy if exposed to a sufficiently high concentration of the toxin. Once a reaction to the toxic has occurred, the body responds with a cell-mediated immunity, which is a delayed hypersensitivity. Those individuals who have developed delayed hypersensitivity are sensitive to the toxin and repeated exposures further increase sensitivity. Conversely, long period with no exposure will reduce an individual’s susceptibility to the allergen. There is no known difference in sensitivity to poison oak among races or between sexes. Animals do not usually suffer skin irritation from contact with poison oak because they are protected by fur; dogs, however, can contact poison oak on their nose or underbelly. On the other hand, livestock may graze on the tender foliage.

In addition to direct contact with the plant, transmission of the allergen can occur from a number of other sources including smoke particles, contact with objects such as clothing, gloves, and tools, or contact with animals, particularly pets. When poison oak is burned, the oils can be transported on the smoke particles. Breathing this smoke can cause severe respiratory irritation.

After coming in contact with the allergen, the best way to prevent skin irritation is to pour a mild solvent, such as isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), over the exposed area and then follow this with plenty of cold water (warm water enhances penetration of the oil) within a few minutes of exposure. If isopropyl alcohol is not available, just wash with lots of cold water. But you need to wash within 5 minutes of exposure to prevent a rash. Even if it is too late to prevent the rash, washing the skin to remove excess plant oil will keep the rash from spreading. The poison oak toxin is an oil, so it does not dissolve in water. Sufficient quantities of water, however, will dilute the oil to the point where it is no longer harmful.

Using only a small amount of water or disposable hand wipes is more likely to spread the toxin than remove it. Soaps can be used to wash, but only if with copious amounts of water; otherwise, they too will spread the toxin. An important point to remember when washing with isopropyl alcohol or soaps following exposure to poison oak is that they will remove the skin’s protective oils. Therefore, wash with them only if you are done working outside for the day. If there is a possibility of re-exposure to poison oak within 6 hours, just wash with lots of water. Be sure to thoroughly wash the hands as they serve as the major route for transfer of the allergen to other parts of the body, especially the face.

Poison Sumac - A Hazard of Cacheing

Poison sumac is not very common. Thankfully. Poison sumac is not very common, although the safe sumacs (see below) are very common. Poison sumac only grows in very wet areas. Notice that the leaves are not jagged or hairy, unlike the common staghorn sumac show below.

Grows only in wetlands

Not common
Leaves are smooth
No hair on stems
7-9 leaves per stem

Poison sumac grows into a small tree.Sumacs grow into small trees, poison sumac included. Poison ivy is a vine - and has to climb on something else. Poison oak does grow as a vine or a shrub, but never an actual tree. Dogs and other animals don't seem to be affected by poison sumac, ivy or oak. However, dogs can get the plant sap on their fur and transfer it to you when you pet them.

Poison Ivy - A Hazard of Cacheing

Poison ivy is a woody vine, shrub or ground cover that can be encountered almost anywhere in our region. You will definitely find plenty of it in woodsy areas, but it could just as easily show up in your urban garden or a raised planting bed. Its distribution includes the entire U.S., southern

Canada and Mexico. There are varieties of it throughout the world.

Interestingly, this plant is a member of the “Anacardiaceae,” or cashew family. While most cashew representatives are located in tropical or sub-tropical areas, in North America this family is represented by poison ivy, poison oak, the sumacs (including poison sumac) and the Florida poison tree. In addition to poison ivy, this series will discuss poison oak and poison sumac.

THE POISON IN THE IVY
It’s too bad that poison ivy is as far-ranging as it is, since its active agent, Urushiol (pronounced oo-roo-shee-ohl), is present in all parts of the plant, especially the sap, and can be easily released and encountered in the wild. Almost all people (well, 85%, according to the FDA) are sensitive to Urushiol. Although the human immune system will generally not react to Urushiol upon the first exposure to it, subsequent exposures will usually result in the outbreak of an itchy rash within 12 to 48 hours, followed by nasty blisters that eventually ooze and erupt. The oozing blisters, by the way, are not contagious and can not spread the reaction to other parts of the body. Any new lesions that appear well after the primary ones represent less sensitive areas where the Urushiol was deposited. The rash, blisters and itch normally disappear in 14 to 20 days without treatment.

People vary significantly in sensitivity to Urushiol. Some people have little problem with it, only getting minor rashes after significant exposure. Others, not as fortunate, may suffer severe allergic reactions. Sensitivity can also vary over a person’s lifetime. It has been shown, for instance, that people who may be unaffected by light Urushiol exposure early in life can become sensitized with repeated exposures later on. Other animals are not sensitive to Urushiol, so although Fido can bring it to you on his shiny coat, he can’t suffer it himself. The sad ironic reality about human exposure to Urushiol is this: in and of itself, Urushiol is a harmless substance. It’s the unique human immune response to it that causes all the problems. It’s like Pogo said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us!”

The clinical name for the skin irritation caused by poison ivy is “Rhus Dermatitis,” which usually starts as itching, then proceeds to small blisters at the exact spot of exposure within a few hours. The strength of the exposure, as well as the sensitivity of the person exposed, will determine the severity of the reaction. Most people are exposed to poison ivy, which is a fragile plant anyway, when they inadvertently rub up against and bruise a leaf or vine. The tiny bit of Urushiol that drains onto the skin begins the reaction process. Unfortunately, Urushiol can cling to shoes, clothing, tools, balls, pets and virtually anything else, resulting in exposure long after a person has left the poison ivy habitat. In a dry environment the substance can remain viable for decades, but even if the environment is warm and moist, the Urushiol can still cause a reaction a year later. Because we tromp through a lot poison ivy seeking caches, our shoes become a prime carrier if the Urushiol is not washed off or brushed off by other weeds and plants during our bushwhacking activities.

Urushiol is absorbed into the skin within five to 15 minutes and combines molecularly with certain proteins in the body. If, upon exposure or very shortly thereafter, the Urushiol is washed off (preferably with dishwashing soap and water), the consequences can be mitigated quite a bit or eliminated altogether. Unfortunately, cachers are rarely near a sink or water or soap when they are traipsing through a forest. The best strategy is to learn to recognize the vectors of Urushiol, like poison ivy, and steer clear of them. We will discuss identification of poison ivy shortly, but first, consider these facts about Urushiol:

Only one nanogram (billionth of a gram) is needed to cause a rash. The average exposure is 100 nanogams.

Five hundred people could itch from the amount covering the head of a pin, while one-quarter ounce would cause a reaction in every person on earth.
Specimens of Urushiol several centuries old have been found to cause dermatitis in sensitive people.

The name "Urushiol is derived from the Japanese name for lacquer. When the Japanese restored the gold leaf on the Temple of Kyoto, they painted the Urushiol lacquer on it to preserve and maintain the gold. (It could have been a good deterrent against thievery, too!)
Urushiol reactions are the most common form of allergy in the U.S.

IDENTIFICATION
Since avoidance of poison ivy is the best way to avoid exposure to Urushiol, how do we identify it?

As previously mentioned, poison ivy can appear in a number of different forms. As a vine, it produces an abundance of hairy-looking aerial roots and can grow high up on trees, walls, fences or anything else that can support it. In this form it can reach its greatest size. We’ve all seen those hairy, arm-sized vines growing up the sides of large trees. But be aware that it can also trail along the ground as a vine, usually much smaller in size, in which case it may appear to be something innocuous like a root. Don’t grab a poison ivy vine for support when you’re climbing up a slope, thinking it’s a root from a nearby tree!

As a free-standing shrub, specimens can be very small, growing in the open with only one stem and a few side branches. On the other hand, poison ivy’s shrub form can be very large, easily over 10’ tall and approaching tree-like status. This latter size is often confused with poison oak, a related hazard we’ll discuss in the next installment.

Finally, as a ground cover poison ivy can creep across the ground and create a knee-high thicket of foliage that can easily get caught in a hiking shoe’s loose toe-guard, thereby resulting in a fall. Yikes! Did I just land in poison ivy?

Fortunately, the leaves of poison ivy, which are similar in all three forms, are the basic key to identification in the field. (The bad news is that poison ivy leaves are not strictly uniform. They are close enough, however, that positive identification should not be a problem.) Keep in mind, though, that while the old adage, “Leaves of three, let it be!” will steer you clear of poison ivy, that old saying will also have you jumping away from many other innocuous plants you’ll encounter on your treks. Lest you become a human jumping bean getting spooked at every turn, let’s see if we can’t put a little more definition into that age-old bromide.

Poison ivy has “compound” leaves. This means that each leaf is made up of distinct parts, called leaflets. The key to identifying poison ivy is to know that one leaflet (and the largest of the three) is positioned at the end of the stalk, with the other two leaflets situated opposite each other below the central large leaflet. The two lower leaflets have much shorter stalks than the central leaflet. This is called a trifoliate pattern. Also, and this is especially true in our region, the shape, color and texture of the leaflets are highly variable. (You will also note that the central stalk will often have a number of small, bristly aerial roots, especially noticeable on vines.) In our area I would guess that about 60% of the poison ivy has smooth leaf margins, with the remaining 40% having “toothed” margins or lobes. To reiterate: the key factors in identifying poison ivy are the larger central leaflet with its larger stalk and the two opposite somewhat smaller leaves on substantially smaller stalks. If you remember these features you will be able to distinguish poison ivy from any other plant.

A word on leave color: In spring it’s common to see poison ivy emerge with a reddish leaf that quickly turns green. Similarly, in fall the leaves will often become reddish late in their growth cycle before dying off and turning yellow or dirty red. In the midst of their growth cycle, the leaves of poison ivy can range from dull flat green in color through bright green. Also, while most poison ivy leaves are fully formed and spread out during the plant’s growing season, it’s not uncommon to find some plants, particularly small shrubs, with droopy, dark green leaves that appear to have a waxy hue to them. This plant does give us a number of different looks!

Another way to identify poison ivy is through its fruit. During the summer months poison ivy produces grapelike clusters of tiny white, pumpkin-like seeds with an off-white or pale yellow rind. Eventually, the rind flakes off and exposes the seed. Well before this happens, however, the rind-bound seeds are feasted upon by a variety of birds, including flickers and woodpeckers, sapsuckers, thrushes, pheasants and quail. Songbirds also eat the fruit during their fall migrations and during the winter when other foods are scarce. The rind provides the birds with nourishment, while the seeds usually pass through the birds’ gut unharmed. In this way, birds act as agents in the spread of poison ivy.

Finally, if you happen to brush up against what you believe could be poison ivy (or oak and sumac, for that matter), here’s a test you can perform virtually anywhere AFTER you thoroughly wash and rinse the exposed area. The test will take about 30 minutes and require a sheet of white paper (like copy paper) and a pair of gloves (preferably PVC-coated). Wearing the gloves for protection, break off a full leaf (as opposed to just one of the leaf’s leaflets) of the suspect plant where it meets the main stem. Put the broken end of the leaf against the paper to create a “dot” of the sap. Wait 30 minutes. If this plant is one of the “big three” containing Urushiol, the dot will oxidize and turn black within that time.

POISON IVY LOOK-ALIKES
Please note the accompanying photos of some other plants that are often confused with poison ivy. These include fragrant sumac, box elder, Virginia creeper, blackberry and wild strawberry. Like poison ivy, fragrant sumac is trifoliate. It grows in dense thickets up to seven feet tall. Box elder has three to seven leaflets on each leaf. Unlike poison ivy, its leaves will be opposite each other on the main stem. The Virginia creeper leaf has three to five leaflets (usually five) and, to my thinking, has little resemblance to poison ivy. What IS similar, however, is its large vine. Blackberry will show three leaves, but they are always very serrated and the stalk of the central leaflet is much shorter. Also the stems and stalks are loaded with small thorns. Wild strawberry creeps low to the ground, and its middle leaflet does not have a longer stalk than the other two. Since pictures of these imposters will be included with this article, no further attempt will be made to describe them in this article.

TREATMENT OF EXPOSURE
If you are unfortunate enough to have developed a poison ivy rash, there are several ways to treat it, depending on the severity of the reaction. For mild cases, wet compresses or soaking in cool water may be effective. Oral antihistamines can also relieve itching. A variety of over-the-counter topical corticosteroids (commonly referred to as hydrocortisones under brand names like Cortaid and Lanacort) are safe and effective in reducing the itch of poison ivy. A couple other non-prescription topical products reputed to be effective are Zanfel, Itch-X and Tecnu. An itch-relieving spray given good marks is Cahladril.

In a recent real-world inquiry into effective non-prescription poison ivy treatments available to the general public, the highest-ranked remedies were Zanfel, hot water, swimming pool (!) and jewelweed, followed by a host of home cures. According to Geode Hunters, by the way, “the inside of banana peels helps in relieving the itching and dries out the skin. Lye soap also helps dry out the skin…. Tecnu is the winner, though. Even after a long day of caching in the woods, I find it effective. I use it in the shower, and it seems to do the job.” (Jewelweed, long-known as a home cure, has significant scientific validation. It will be discussed in length in the next installment.)

For severe cases, prescription topical corticosteroid drugs can halt the reaction, but only if treatment begins within a few hours of exposure. Once the blisters form, topical treatments lose efficacy. At this point it would be wise to visit a dermatologist. He/she will be able to judge the severity of the reaction and may prescribe oral or injected corticosteroids. Predisone is generally the preferred recourse in severe cases, as well as a number of prescription topicals that are also generally formulated with corticosteroids.

There are a number of OTC products that help dry up blisters. In addition to the ones mentioned by Geode Hunters, these include aluminum acetate (Burrows solution), baking soda, Aveeno (oatmeal bath), aluminum hydroxide gel, calamine, kaolin, zinc acetate, zinc carbonate and zinc oxide. Currently, there are no FDA-approved desensitization, vaccination or barrier products available, although many have been studied. Right now most experts agree that one old adage DOES apply to poison ivy exposure. You’ve heard it before: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In other words, avoid it if you can. For geocachers, that means learning what it is and stepping around it.

Finding Caches

Once you have made an account on the geocache website, you are ready to start. (Don't forget that you will need to purchase a GPS or borrow one from a friend.)You can start by finding caches or hiding caches. Finding caches first might help you get ideas for your own caches. To find a cache near you, go to the geocache website and on the left you will see "Hide & Seek A Cache", click this and fill in the information according to your location. Once you've clicked enter, a list of geocaches will appear. These are the caches in your area. Pick one of those caches and enter the coordinates into your GPS. Then you are ready to find the cache. Once you have found the cache, write in the log book, found inside the cache, about your finding. When you go home, you can go on the caches info page and mark that you found the cache and leave comments about it.

What Is Geocaching?

Here is a video, seen on the geocaching website, that explains geocaching.

Visit the website to get started: www.geocaching.com

Our Goal

This was created as part of a Gold Award Project for the girl scouts of Troop 30543. Our names are Maggie & Katie and our project is called “Geocaching in the Historic Places of Camden County!" Geocaching is the main focus of our project. We plan on hiding caches at various historic locations in Camden County, NJ. We also need something extra to go along with the project. We decided to create this blog to help you with geocaching and getting started.

Chiggers - A Hazard of Cacheing

Chiggers, which are also called harvest mites or red bugs, are very small and can not usually be seen without a magnifying glass or microscope. Their 'bite' also isn't usually noticeable, which is why you usually don't even know you were around chiggers until you start itching and notice the rash about 12 or 24 hours later.

Once on your body, they typically move around looking for a good place to feed, which is usually a thin layer of skin. They will also begin to feed if they reach a barrier, such as the waistband of your clothes or your armpit.

But chiggers don't even really bite you in the traditional sense, like a mosquito does. Instead, they attach themselves to your skin, inject saliva with digestive enzymes that helps to break down your skin cells, which the chigger drinks. It is these enzymes that cause the itchy rash.
Although chiggers can stay attached to your skin for several days and continue eating, they are very easily brushed off and are usually knocked off once you begin to scratch the rash or take a shower or bath. That is why it can be a good idea to have your kids take a quick shower or bath after they have been playing outside in any type of 'wild' areas of your neighborhood. Another good reason is just so you can wash off any insect repellent that you had put on.

Myths About ChiggersOne of the biggest myths or misconceptions about chiggers is that they can burrow under your skin and drink your blood. This leads to the common treatment for chiggers of putting clear nail polish on chigger bites to suffocate the chiggers. Since chiggers don't actually burrow under your skin, this 'treatment' is unnecessary.

Treatments for Chigger BitesWhile nail polish isn't a good treatment for chigger bites, anything that can help control the itching can be helpful, including:
- take a bath or shower as soon as possible after any possible exposure to chiggers
- apply your favorite OTC anti-itch medication, such as hydrocortisone, Calamine lotion, Sarna, oatmeal baths, etc.
- oral Benadryl
- a prescription strength steroid cream Although chiggers in North America don't usually carry any diseases, the bites themselves can get infected.

Avoiding Chigger BitesSince not going outside and being active is not good advice and unlike poison ivy, it is hard to spot and avoid chiggers, it is important to learn other ways to avoid chiggers and chigger bites. This can include avoiding wearing clothing that put you at risk for chigger bites, such as sandals without socks, sleeveless shirts, and shorts. Instead, wear long pants made of tightly woven fabric, long sleeved shirts, and high top boots or shoes. As an added defense, it can help to tuck your pant legs into your shoes or boots.

Insect repellents are another good way to help you avoid chiggers. In addition to applying it on your exposed skin, it can help to apply your insect repellent around your ankles, wrists, neck, and waist, which is where the chiggers often gain access to the rest of your body through your shoes, shirt, pants, and shoes.

Reports indicate that the most effective repellent for chiggers is sulphur. Chiggers hate sulphur and definitely avoid it. Powdered sulphur is available through most pharmacies.

Another good way to avoid chigger bites is to keep them out of your backyard, especially if your lawn is infested with chiggers. Since chiggers like high grass and weeds, keeping your lawn well groomed and treating the infested area with an insecticide may be helpful.

Sand Fleas - A Hazard of Cacheing

A sand flea is also known by many other names. For example, this crustacean (although it resembles an insect, the sand flea is actually not one) is also called a sand fly, beach flea, hop-a-long, no-see-um, biting midge, and punkie or punky. The sand flea is less than 1/8 of an inch (3 mm) long and is often difficult to see. It is a shrimp-like creature in appearance and ranges in color from pale to brownish. The body has seven segments and it has long legs that are used for swimming or jumping. They are known to jump to a height of at least 40 cm and therefore, it is unusual to experience a sand flea bite on upper body parts unless the victim was lying down. The bites are normally found in clusters around the ankles.

Ticks - A Hazard of Cacheing

Prior to the late 1970’s, tick-borne diseases in New Jersey were relatively rare and not considered a major public health threat. Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) was the only tick-borne disease recognized in New Jersey at that time. The first cases of Lyme disease were reported in New Jersey in 1978 and since then, it has been the most commonly reported tick-borne disease in the United States. The majority of Lyme disease cases occur in the Northeast. New Jersey consistently ranks among the states reporting the most cases. Recently, several other tick-borne diseases have become a concern, including human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE), human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), and babesiosis. The geographical distribution and public health importance of these emerging tick-borne diseases in New Jersey is not well understood at this point. Three ticks, called vectors, are responsible for all tick-borne disease transmission in New Jersey:

1. black-legged tick or more commonly known as the deer tick
2. lone star tick
3. American dog tick

Each of these species is a 3-host tick, meaning it must locate and obtain a bloodmeal from a host animal in each of its active developmental stages (larva, nymph, adult) to complete its life cycle. The role that various hosts play in the transmission cycles is critical to understanding tick-borne diseases. Certain animals provide a source of blood only and are termed maintenance hosts. Those that provide a bloodmeal and a source of disease organisms are called reservoir hosts. Certain hosts, such as birds, are also responsible for dispersal of ticks over long distances. The
ticks involved in disease transmission in New Jersey are not host-specific, that is, they will feed on a variety of animals. The type of host generally is determined by the behavior of the tick species and life stage. Humans are considered incidental hosts. The transmission cycles of the various tick-borne diseases have both similarities and differences. Lyme disease, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis share a common reservoir host (white-footed mouse) and tick vector (black-legged tick), both of which are most frequently encountered in forested habitats. Rocky Mountain spotted fever has a different reservoir host and tick vector (American dog tick), which exploits habitats quite different from the other tick species. Therefore, an understanding of these differences is important in reducing exposure to infected ticks and minimizing transmission risk.


PREVENTION
The best way to prevent tick-borne diseases is to avoid tick-infested areas, including woodland, wooded edges, and landscaped areas with dense ground cover, leaf litter, or shrubs. If this is not possible, take the following precautions when entering likely tick habitats.
- Wear light-colored clothing, making it easier to see ticks.
- Tuck pants legs into socks and shirts into pants. Ticks will be forced to crawl on the outside of clothing, where they can be more easily seen and removed.
- Use repellents. Personal repellents which contain DEET can be used on skin or clothing, while repellents containing permethrin should only be used on clothing. Be certain to read label directions carefully.

The risk of transmission can be reduced further by examining yourself and family members when returning from tick-infested areas and removing ticks before they have a chance to feed. Ticks require a relatively long time to insert their mouthparts and begin feeding. Ticks that are removed promptly are unlikely to transmit disease organisms. Ticks embedded in the skin should only be removed by grasping the tick with pointed tweezers as close to the skin as possible and applying firm, steady backward force until the tick becomes dislodged. Attempts to remove attached ticks with noxious chemicals or by burning will not work, may cause injury to the skin, and can increase the risk of transmission by causing the tick to regurgitate disease organisms into thebody. After the tick has been removed, wash the skin area thoroughly to avoid infection.