Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Avoid the Chigger Areas
• Part 2 of 3: Don't Let Chiggers Get On The Body
• Part 3 of 3: Don't Let Chiggers Show Up in the Yard
• Tips
• Warnings

Chiggers, or thrombicilides, are not insects, but rather mite larvae. This means that they are in the same family as spiders! Chiggers can be found in the same places where ticks are found. Unlike a tick bite, it is unlikely that a chigger bite will transmit any disease. However, their bite causes a long and unpleasant itch. To avoid chigger bites while outdoors, take some precautions. Chiggers are usually so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye, so find out about their habitats and habits if you don't want them to bite you.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Avoid the Chigger Areas

1. 1 Don't go to places where chiggers are common. As a rule, they live in warm and humid places. Avoid walking through bushes, tall grass, and weeds. Avoid swamps, swamps, and wooded areas with rotting leaves and piles of firewood.
   • Chiggers often wait in thickets and bushes to cling to small animals that are their natural hosts. Stay away from bushes and climbing plants that can hurt you and carry chiggers.
   • These mites rarely move away from where they hatched, which is why they gather in groups in swampy and warm areas.
2. 2 Think where you sit. Never sit down or lie down directly on the ground in summer. Instead, bring a folding chair or blanket to spread on the ground. Also, do not sit on stumps or tree trunks. Instead, sit on a dry, hot object, such as a sun-heated stone.
3. 3 Plan your activities for the time period when the chiggers are least active. Chiggers most often bite in the spring and summer after lunch, when the ground warms up to 25-30 ° C. They are almost inactive at 15 ° C and die when the temperature drops below 5 ° C. During tick season, plan activities in dry or cool weather.

Part 2 of 3: Don't Let Chiggers Get On The Body

1. 1 Dress properly to prevent chiggers from biting you. Wear long pants and long-sleeved T-shirts when in the chigger habitat.The best protection is provided by products made of dense fabrics and a minimum number of holes. Tuck the shirt into your pants to cover your skin, as chiggers often bite around the waist. These mites sometimes target the thin skin of the ankles, groin and underarms, and the inside of the knees, so be sure to cover all of these areas.
   • Wear boots and socks to prevent chiggers from biting your feet and ankles. If you are in an area with a high population of chiggers (for example, in a swamp or swamp), tuck the legs of your trousers into high socks so that the pincers do not move up to the ankles.
2. 2 Use insect repellent. Buy insect repellent with diethyltoluamide (DEET) or permethrin from a hiking supply store. Spray diethyltoluamide insect repellent on the tops of your socks, waist, and ankles to keep chiggers from getting under your clothes.
   • DEET can be applied to clothing and skin, but after that try to wash it off as soon as possible. Permentriar products can only be applied to clothing.
   • Use products with permethrin or DEET strictly according to the instructions. Permethrin may cause burning or itching on contact with skin. DEET causes the same symptoms if left on the skin for several hours. DEET and permethrin are not classified as "carcinogenic" or "non-carcinogenic".
   • Look for lotions or sprays that tell you that, in addition to the usual ticks and mosquitoes, they also ward off chiggers or redling mites.
3. 3 Apply sulfur. If you don't want to use products with DEET or permethrin, sprinkle sulfur powder on your clothes. Just keep in mind that it will make your clothes smell like rotten eggs. Sulfur powder can be purchased at any pharmacy, greenhouse, or grocery store.
4. 4 Take a shower. Take a warm shower or bath soon after visiting the area where chiggers live to wash away any ticks that may have lodged on you. Contrary to popular belief, chiggers do not burrow under the skin and can be easily washed off and removed from the body. Chiggers can also be removed by thoroughly drying off with a towel.
   • Do your laundry after walking around the area where chiggers live. Wash off leftover chiggers and used insect repellent from clothing.

Part 3 of 3: Don't Let Chiggers Show Up in the Yard

1. 1 Maintain order in your yard. Use a lawn mower to cut tall grass to clear infested areas. Only with low grass will the sun be able to break through to the soil, drying out the grass and earth. Chiggers like to live in humid places and avoid the heat.
2. 2 Spray your lawn with a mild insecticide. Dilute some dishwashing liquid in 4 liters of water and spray it on bushes to get rid of chiggers and other parasites. Use chemical insecticides such as permethrin, cyfluthrin, diazinon, and carbaryl with caution, as they can kill beneficial insects and animals.
3. 3 Get rid of rodents. Chiggers live on rodents and other small animals that live in bushes and armfuls of firewood. Remove all shrubs and wood from your firewood. Wear gardening gloves and wash your hands with soap and water after you work. Install a fence if animals with chiggers often wander into your yard.
   • Secure trash can lids to keep out small animals.

Tips

• Some people find that dark colors attract chiggers and other insects. When spending time outdoors in the summer, wear light colors so as not to attract chiggers and stay cool. It is much easier to spot insects on light-colored items.
• Your pet is unlikely to be infected with chiggers.

Warnings

• If you develop a fever or swelling from chigger bites, or are allergic to hydrocortisone or calamine lotion, see your doctor immediately for treatment.
• Chigger bites rarely cause more than mild discomfort when treated with hydrocortisone ointment or calamine lotion.Do not scratch the bites, otherwise you will carry a bacterial infection.