I removed parts of three beaver dams 3 and 4 days ago. Wearing work boots on the downstream side, I got wet to the knees.

I now have a little irritation and itch. Anyone ever get this before? Is this from the beaver water?

Sounds like a classic case of "swimmers itch": http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/swimmersitch/faqs.html

You are very lucky to have only a little itch. Beaver are known to tie their constructions together with the stems of poisen ivy. Good luck.

Thought that's what they invented dynamite for.

Grizz

Thanks Guys,

It's still hanging in there. Forgot to mention that NJDEP/EPA closed the superfund site a 1/4 mile away in the mid 80's. They used to make napalm there and still pump ground water through carbon filters that discharges to the river on the other side. I'll go with the itch theory, Thanks Grenadier.

Griz, I don't know if they still have dynamite here in NJ, we're just so politically correct I feel sorry for everywhere except California.

Thanks again

You got the swamp itch. Had that in Louisiana seining crawfish. Ain't no fun.


Dutch

That stuff only happens in spring. The vector is snails and either waterfowl or aquatic rodent types.

I suffered constantly as a child from that stuff as I was always barefoot in the swamps. If there are snails in the water you will get this parasite. It causes the itch because it dies once inside our skin. Humans are not a suitable host. Again, it only causes this issue in the spring.

Not from Texas but, while there I got into the chiggers. Someone told me to rub some diesel fuel on my legs. Sure enough that fixed the itch from them.

Later when I was trucking I never got 'em as I always had diesel on my boots n pants.
Late neighbor got into poison ivy while fishing and being a former trucker he washed his arm with diesel and said it cured it after a few times.

Might be something for you to try on a small area to see if it stops itching. Sure not going to hurt anything and it might help.

Good luck,
George