'Mauler' itches to bite you

By KATHERINE HOBY

It bites. It causes you to itch. It is coming to dry sand near you. It is the Mount Mauler.

A small worm which lives in the dry sand of the Mt Maunganui beaches is causing sunseekers some serious discomfort.

One Mt Maunganui medical centre has had several patients suffering from severe, red, itchy bites the worm has caused.

Bayfair Doctors manager Sharron Harris said the victims had mostly been bitten on the thighs, buttocks and hands.

"We say to people 'don't sit on the dry sand. The mauler will get you'," she says.

The staff at the clinic have given the small white worms - usually about 3-4mm in length - the name of "Mount Mauler".

They suspect the worms are found on other beaches but said the name stuck after they saw a number of people with the nasty bites in late December.

Some sunbathers who were bitten reported that the effects did not appear for two or three days.

The bites can be treated with antihistamine cream and should not be scratched in case they become infected.

Mt Maunganui nurse Julie Halbert also reported some patients with small red bites, though she simply labelled the perpetrators "little sand thingies".


Herald feature: Environment