What Are Chiggers? How Do You Get Rid of Them?
Chiggers are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye, but pack a punch when it comes to itching and discomfort! They are 1/150th of an inch in size and a member of the mite family, known as Trombiculidae. They are typically in wooded areas and areas with tall grass, but I have encountered them in shorter grasses also.
Chiggers attach to the skin and inject digestive enzymes which break down skin cells which they then feed upon. Contrary to popular belief, chiggers do not burrow into the skin and do not need to be smothered with nail polish remover. Soap and water will remove any remaining larva off of the skin. They also do not feed on blood, but only the skin cells their enzymes break down. Bites will be found on the ankles up to the pantline.
Chiggers go through four life stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult. They only feed on humans in the larval stage. They are more active during the warmer months when humidity is high and temperatures between 77-86 degrees. Around Canyon Lake, we tend to start getting calls for chiggers in April and as it gets hotter and dryer in the summer they are no longer a problem. Wet summers like this year (2024) make for a longer chigger season than normal.
How to Get Rid of Chiggers
Showering after being in areas infested with chiggers will wash any larva away. Wash clothing and bedding that may have been exposed in hot water. Anti-itch creams with hydrocortisone or calamine lotion will help treat the inflammation and itching that will come after exposure. Oral histamines can also help with inflammation. Try not to scratch the affected areas so they will not become infected.
Prevention
Wearing long pants and sleeves, socks and using rubber bands to hold the pants tight against the leg will help prevent larval chiggers from getting to your skin. You can also tuck pants inside boots to keep your skin covered. Insect repellent sprays can be applied to skin a clothing to deter the pests from climbing aboard. Avoid sitting on the ground in rougher terrain areas, like in the woods or the less developed parts of your property.
Keeping grass short and vegetation trimmed will create a less than ideal habitat for chiggers. Keeping leaf litter removed also helps.
Treatments
Treatment involves using a liquid and granular insecticide to the areas of infestation, which is usually difficult to pinpoint, so I normally do entire yard treatments. For most customers one service a year will take care of the issue so we just schedule each year when the chiggers appear.
DIY Treatments
You can try the big box store yard insecticides that attach to a hose-end sprayer, but I’ve found these are not very effective and usually don’t have a very high concentration of insecticide. You might also not be able to reach all areas of the yard with one bottle, or run out of length on your water hose.
As a professional, I can treat over an acre at a time and have enough hose on my sprayer to reach 300 feet and can do it all in 30-45 minutes. We normally have a very high success rate and customer satisfaction with chigger treatments.
Give us a call if you need help controlling these microscopic itchy buggers!
