by Texas Homesteader ~ 

The misery of itching from a chigger bite can last for weeks. Many believe the itching is from a chigger buried in the skin. I’ve heard some crazy remedies for the itching, most of them WRONG! (and some downright dangerous too). Read on to separate fact from fallacy with these tiny, itchy pests.

Texas Pests, Bugs & Snakes

I love Texas, but we have some pesky things to deal with here. The heat & humidity are certainly something to contend with. And some of the bugs & pests are too.

Out here on the Homestead I’m constantly on the lookout for venomous copperhead snakes, stinging wasps, scorpions, fire ants and more!

But to me the worst offender is… the tiny chigger.

Oh the chiggers are brutal around here this time of year. The itching from chiggers can stay for 2-3 weeks in some cases. YIKES!

There are many home remedies for chigger bites, and a tremendous amount of misinformation as well. Today I will address the chigger and its tormentous bite.

Do Chiggers Burrow Into Your Skin?

Many people think the tiny chigger actually borrows beneath your skin which is causing the swelling & itching.

Let me put this harmful fallacy to rest. Chiggers do not burrow into your skin!

When a chigger bites  it injects an enzyme which prepares tissues for their feeding. They feed for typically a few hours before they retreat to digest their meal and continue to their next stage of life.

The bumps you see (and FEEL) are actually your body’s own defenses reacting to the bite, similar to a mosquito bite reaction. So let me say this again:

There really is no live chigger burrowed beneath your skin. 

Feel better? Good. I’m glad we could have this talk.

Crazy Home Remedies For Chigger Itching

People try all manner of remedies to ‘kill’ the chigger they believe is beneath their skin in an attempt to relieve the itching.

I’ve heard all kinds of crazy remedies, most of which start with purposely scratching the skin raw & bleeding to expose the chigger that’s supposedly buried beneath their skin. (YIKES!)

These so-called itching remedies are not necessary, nor are they helpful. They’re only a painful potential open invitation to infection. That’s because (and this is most important): Chiggers don’t actually burrow into your skin.

Some say to kill the supposed chigger buried beneath the skin you must spray Lysol on the open wounds after they’re scratched raw.

Others swear by killing chiggers by pouring bleach on their raw purposely-scratched-open wounds. Yep, you heard that right – bleach.  Wow.

I’ve heard of people clawing the bumps open to expose the chigger that’s supposedly beneath the skin and then dabbing on clear fingernail polish to suffocate them.

Or once again clawing the bump until it’s raw & open, then pouring alcohol on it to kill the supposedly burrowed-in chigger. OUCH!

How To Avoid Itchy Chigger Bites

Now, the question is how do you avoid chiggers? And how do you deal with the itchy bumps if you are unfortunate enough to be stricken with them?

Fortunately there are many easy ways to avoid becoming a chigger’s itchy meal (along with about 100 of their closest chigger buddies!) Some things to remember:

Chigger Preferred Environment – Chiggers like to hang out in places where the ground is shaded such as tall grass, places where leaves are gathered, etc. So it’s a good idea to keep your lawn maintained.

Although chiggers can still be present in a manicured lawn, they really don’t care for shorter grass.

Clothing Choice To Avoid Chiggers – If you must venture out beyond your yard, keep in mind that after a chigger gets onto your skin it crawls to the tightest space it can reach before settling in for a meal. Many times that’s your sock lines or the waistband of your pants.

So it’s recommended to keep them off your skin that you wear loose-fitting clothes. And they should be made of tighter-weave fabrics to keep chiggers from just going through the cloth. 

Cover Your Skin! Be sure to cover as much skin as you can – wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Button up that collar & those sleeves. And some suggest tucking your pants into your boots or even into your socks.

How To Repel Chiggers

Different applications will work better for different people, so you’ll want to decide what works best for you. But I’ll share what works best for us:

There are many times each and every day when RancherMan must go boldly off the beaten path to work our beloved Homestead. Even into chigger territory.

• Powdered Sulphur To Deter Chigger Bites

If I’m only going to the beehives, I’ll sprinkle my shoes and pant legs with powdered sulfur.

I administer the powdered sulfur like the old-timers do, putting the sulfur powder in an old sock and closing by tying a knot on top.

I just take that sulfur-filled sock and tap it on my shoes and pant legs up to my knees and I’m ready to go.

• Deet Sprays To Deter Chigger Bites

When I know we’ll be out in the taller grass pastures, I’ll spray my boots and pant legs with a deet product such as ‘Off’ insect repellant spray.

To me it’s a helpful product, but I’m not a big fan of chemicals. So I use it only as a last resort. However it has been very effective when it’s used.

How To Avoid Chigger-Bite’s Itching

So, you forgot to take precautions and you’re afraid you’ll suffer the itchy consequences?

Well if you act quickly you can oftentimes reduce both the volume and severity of those chiggers.

• • Wash Chiggers Away:

Your very first line of defense is to wash them away before they get a chance to dine off your ankles and waistline!

As soon as you come back inside immediately take a hot, soapy shower and scrub your skin vigorously with a washcloth.

RancherMan & I use our homemade Luffa Soap to wash and scrub at the same time. That helps dislodge chiggers and wash them away.

If they’ve already injected you with their enzymes you may still get some itchy bumps but at least they will be fewer.

• • Wash Chiggers From Your Clothes:

Don’t forget there could be lots of almost microscopic chiggers hitching a ride on those jeans you were wearing.

So be sure to change quickly and then wash all clothing before wearing it again. Otherwise you’ll just be introducing those chiggers to another all-you-can-eat buffet.

Do Natural Bug Repellents Work? Asking The Experts

I refuse to broad-spray insecticide on our lawn because I want to protect bees and other beneficial insects.

I’m really more interested in natural ways to keep chiggers away from my body.

I’ve wondered about such natural chigger repellents I’ve read about over the years. Such things as using various essential oils or crushing a beauty-berry leaf & tucking it into your socks and waistband.

So I asked our extension agent about various natural chigger-repelling methods I’d read about.

She forwarded my question to an expert with a doctorate degree, who was actually no help at all. So my extension agent’s response was:

“Dr <name> replied with the following. I was afraid this would likely be the case. As part of the land grant system we can only use researched based information. Unfortunately the work just hasn’t been done on essential oils and other plants as control products”

Dr. <name> Response: “I have no idea about essential oils, other than I know of no scientific data to support their practical use in repelling or controlling chiggers.  If someone wants to be a guinea pig, they could spray one leg with DEET and one leg with essential oil of their choice (there are many); but personally I’d stick with DEET and tucking my pants into my socks.

Same comment about beautyberry as essential oils.  No data that I’m aware of.”

The Takeaway To Avoiding Chigger Bites?

Rest assured, my friends. I’ll not be applying insecticide to our yard. Instead we’ll be focusing on keeping the little beasties off our skin.

Here are the methods we use successfully here on the Homestead:

• • Wear loose-fitting clothing comprised of dense fabric, long-sleeve shirts & pants.
  • Tuck pant legs into boots (or even socks.)
  • Sprinkle powdered sulfur onto shoes & pant legs.
  • If going into even taller grass of pasture, spray DEET product such as ‘Off’ Insect Repellant on pants legs and boots.
  • Stay in short grass whenever possible.
  • If exposed to chiggers, put clothing worn into the pastures directly into the laundry hamper.
  • Take a hot shower as soon as possible after coming back inside, scrubbing skin vigorously with a washcloth or luffa.

Easing Chigger Bite Itching

If we do end up with chigger bites and the itching becomes more than we can bear, an allergy medicine containing an antihistamine can help us get some temporary relief.

Although the itching can last weeks, the worst of it lasts only a couple of days so there’s a light at the end of the tunnel!

References:

• Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University – Publication On Chiggers
• My Own Itchy Experience 😉

~TxH~

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