FW: Chicago Area Itch Mites Mystery Solved

[Mike Quinn]

-----Original Message-----
From: Baumgartn...@epamail.epa.gov
[mailto:Baumgartn...@epamail.epa.gov]
Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 12:45 PM
To: everyone under the sun...
Subject: Chicago Area Itch Mites Mystery Solved

I am sure that you have heard about the Chicago area itch mite epidemic
this past summer. Well, a Illinois Natural History Survey Entomologist
has deduced that the mite explosion was related to the 17 year cicada
outbreak, with the parasitic mites opportunistically feeding on cicada
eggs, that resulted in huge numbers of the mites (never before reported
in Illinois) and their dropping on humans to feed. If interested, check
out the links below.

Local Chicago News Stories on Itch Mites:
<snip>
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=47869

Donald Baumgartner
Pesticides Section (LC-8J)
Minnesota Project Officer, R5 WPS Coord., Urban IPM Specialist
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, Illinois 60604
ph. 312/886-7835
fax 312/353-4788
baumgartn...@epa.gov
For pesticide information visit http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/
To report environmental violations visit
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/complaints/index.html
Life Lesson: We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old
because we stop playing.