How to Prevent Swimmer’s Itch in Your Pond or Lake
When it comes to summer nuisances, swimmer’s itch easily trumps mosquito bites. Reddened spots, called papules, can itch for days, even with treatment. That could easily ruin a weekend, or even an entire vacation. Once you’ve had a case, you certainly won’t want to get it again! What is swimmer’s itch, and what is the best way to prevent it?
What is Swimmer’s Itch?
Swimmer’s itch, also called mercurial dermatitis, is an itchy rash caused by certain parasites that normally live in freshwater snails and sometimes can even be found on waterfowl. These snails are typically found in shallow ponds or lakes, and tend to concentrate near the shoreline where the water is warmer. The snails release the parasites into the water and if one comes into contact with a swimmer, it burrows into the skin which can cause an allergic reaction and rash. These parasites soon die as humans are not suitable hosts for them.
How to Prevent Swimmer’s Itch?
If swimmer’s itch is a problem at your lake, it is important to rinse and towel off immediately after getting out of the water. This will help reduce the odds that you will have a reaction after getting out of the water.
If you did get swimmer’s itch while you were in the water, the rash typically clears up within a few days. While the itching can be unpleasant, it usually doesn’t require medical attention.
A great way to prevent getting swimmer’s itch is to apply a thick layer of sunscreen before swimming. Give it time to soak in; this is a barrier on your skin so the little parasites cannot penetrate it in the first place.
Avoiding areas that are known to have caused swimmer’s itch recently is another prevention method. Swimming in deeper waters can be an alternate to swimming near the shore. Maybe there is a floating dock or “lily pad”, or you take the boat out into deeper water. Since the snails are found mostly near shore, there is less chance of the parasite away from shore.
The best option is get rid of the parasite. To get rid of the parasite, you need to get rid of the snails. One way to do that is to treat your shoreline with a chemical molluscicide such as copper sulfate.
Copper sulfate is toxic to snails but safe for swimmers. Copper sulfate is EPA approved and people can swim after application. Treatment should be effective in a few days and follow-up applications are typically required.
We also recommend keeping waterfowl away from your dock and swimming area. The use of our Goose D-Fence system will help keep unwanted geese off of your property. The Goose D-Fence system is a retractable fence that has easy installation or removal. Geese require easy access to food and a drink of water every 30 minutes. Goose D-Fence can eliminate that access and the geese will move on to other sites that better suit them.
Whether you choose to apply sunscreen, rinse and towel off immediately, use copper sulfate, a goose deterrent system, or some combination, avoiding swimmer’s itch is a smart choice.