Chigger question

[Rickmur]

Quickly, I know it's been posted before but I've forgotten how to rid yourself of them.

[brucelanthier]

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2100.html

Bites
Chigger larvae do not burrow into the skin, nor suck blood. They pierce the skin and inject into the host a salivary secretion containing powerful, digestive enzymes that break down skin cells that are ingested (tissues become liquefied and sucked up). Also, this digestive fluid causes surrounding tissues to harden, forming a straw-like feeding tube of hardened flesh (stylostome) from which further, partially-digested skin cells may be sucked out. After a larva is fully fed in four days, it drops from the host, leaving a red welt with a white, hard central area on the skin that itches severely and may later develop into dermatitis. Any welts, swelling, itching, or fever will usually develop three to six hours after exposure and may continue a week or longer. If nothing is done to relieve itching, symptoms may continue a week or more. Scratching a bite may break the skin, resulting in secondary infections. However, chiggers are not known to transmit any disease in this country.
Control Measures
Skin Care
After returning from a chigger-infested area, launder the field clothes in soapy, hot water (125°F.) for about half an hour. Infested clothes should not be worn again until they are properly laundered and/or exposed to hot sunshine. Unlaundered clothes or those laundered in cool water will contain the biting chiggers to again reinfest your skin. As soon as possible, take a good hot bath or shower and soap repeatedly. The chiggers may be dislodged, but you will still have the stylostomes, causing the severe itch. Scratching deep to remove stylostomes can cause secondary infections. For temporary relief of itching, apply ointments of benzocaine, hydrocortisone, calamine lotion, New Skin, After Bite, or others recommended by your pharmacist or medical doctor. Some use Vaseline, cold cream, baby oil, or fingernail polish. (The sooner the treatment, the better the results.)

[forddeerslayer]

i know this is a dumb question but i dont know for sure and would like to know. are chiggers little red spider looking things?? i had something like that on my front porch for a short while and if you stepped on one your foot would have that same color little red dot in it.

[Sooner State Hunter]

I'm covered with those little suckers right now, pure hell is what it is. In the past I've tried every remedy but none help get rid of them, they just mask the excrutiating agony for a little while [:@]. You sure won't find this in any manual, but I scrape them with a knife then put bleach on it. Sure it burns like fire, but it feels oh so good

[virginiashadow]

Rick--I just went through the worst chigger bites in my life 3 weeks ago. They were terrible. Here is what helps. Take a hot shower and scrub with soap all over the places you have been bit. You don't "rid" yourself of chiggers, they have already bitten you and fallen off. A couple of things that will take care of the itch that I used this time.

1) Any antifungal cream for foot fungus or jock itch.

2) Sounds gross but any "womans" product (yeast infection) that takes away the itch downstairs.

Those two things will keep you from itching like crazy. Just make sure that you take a hot shower before applying each time. That will do it.

[SouthernStrut56]

nail polish

[Snook384]

I got a great chigger fix. SALT WATER! I found this by accident when I went up to the property and the next day took my kid and wife to the beach. We played in the surf for about 2 hours and lo and behold the itching stopped. I mean it even stopped that night. Since that time I try to do a little wade fishing after going hunting but if I can not I go and get 2 five gallon buckets of sea water and soak the legs while watching TV. It really seems to work for me.

[Sliverflicker]

Whisky, Bowie knife and a pice of leather to bite down on!

[early in]

Chiggers? Only something I've heard of. Iknow nothing about them, other than you don't want to get them. I don't even know what kind of enviornment they prefer. I don't know if their even in my woods.[&:]Can they even be seen with the naked eye?Let's hear it.

[pigiron]

ORIGINAL: Sliverflicker

Whisky, Bowie knife and a pice of leather to bite down on!

LOL....the wire brush feels nice too.

I get them every year, andall summer long. I've actually got used to them now....just let-em eat, and deal with the agony.

...although if you take preventative measures and spray permanone all over your boots and pantlegs as well as duct taping your jean openings to your boots, you will avoid 90% of them.