Chiggers - How to Control Them
Chiggers are one nasty pest. They go by a variety of common names – Red Bugs, Harvest Bugs, Mowers Mites and others. But if you’ve ever come in contact with one, you won’t ever forget it.
Technically, these pests are not insects but are arachnids in the same family with spiders and ticks. They are found in every country and love to be in moist, grassy areas. Edges of the forests are good as well as the average American back yard. They lie in wait about a foot off the ground waiting for a victim to pass by and then they latch on.
Chiggers are most active when the soil temperature is between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit and will die if it gets below 42 degrees. Therefore, Spring, Summer and Fall are when they are in search of food. Once on a victim, they travel in search or skin to do their damage and when you understand what chiggers do to your body, you will certainly choose to avoid them!
Chiggers do not bite. But what they do is worse. They have sharp claws that poke holes in the flesh of victims – and then they inject their spit. Yes, they actually inject their flesh-eating saliva. Their saliva destroys skin cells and it becomes a mushy mess. Then the chiggers slop up that mush for food. Can it get any worse?
What is left behind is destroyed skin that itches, hurts and takes a LONG time to heal. It’s like voids of skin that need to be re-grown. And during the healing of mush, it itches, throbs, pinches and makes you miserable. If a mosquito welt can heal within a week, a chigger ‘bite’ may be with you for a month.
The more Chiggers that find you, the more likely your reaction can be misdiagnosed as a rash. But this is not a rash, it is each individual injection site reacting to the saliva. YUCK!
So how can you avoid being made mush meat by tiny bugs?
First step, it helps to wear long sleeves and long pants with your pants tucked into your socks to avoid exposing skin. But that is easier said than done in the prime temperatures between 77 and 86 degrees! You can also avoid the areas that Chiggers like to dwell in – but there are other ways to protect yourself besides benign avoidance techniques.
Before going outside, spray yourself with Greenbug for People/Pets. Spray it into your hand and rub it everywhere you want protection. DO NOT use the toxic, synthetic chemical pesticides you’ll find everywhere because you will be absorbing the toxins into your skin. And they may not even work against Chiggers!
Chiggers like to burrow where clothing is tight so spray thoroughly along the waistband and near undergarments. It is also smart to spray inside socks and in the cuffs of a shirt. If you are outside for a long time or if you are doing strenuous activity, it is a good idea to reapply.
As an extra layer of protection, you can add ¼ to ½ cup of Greenbug Ready to Use in the fabric softener cycle of your laundry. This will infuse your clothes with an extra layer of protection that will let the Chiggers know that you are off limits!
And if you want the ULTIMATE backyard protection against Chiggers, a Greenbug System will control Chiggers (plus many other pests) via Automatic Pest Control through your irrigation system.