Chiggers.

[Worth1]

I'm posting this here because without me there wouldn't be any garden.
I got home the other day and I now am the proud owner of two chigger bites on my left eye.
One on the lid and the other right at the corner by my nose.
a few in the nether regions and some on my legs.
For years we didn't have chiggers and about 4 years ago they showed up in droves.

All I did was go look at the gaden for a wee bit and came in when I got home.

Chiggers/Red Bugs are horrible.
They stick a wee proboscis in your skin and dissolve tissue and suck it up.
The funnel they leave behind is the thing that causes you to itch not the bug.
It is your body rejecting the funnel.

You can get hot soapy water and a scrub brush and remove the funnel and the itch will go away.
I cant very well do anything around my eye.

This is driving me crazy, my eyes are all red and swollen and itch.
It will be many days before it goes away.
Another thing is the chigger that bothers us is one that is supposed to be on birds not us.
The one that is attracted to humans dont bother us and we never know they are there.

What on earth can I do to run these things out of my yard.
All I have seen is toxic sprays.

Worth

[Labradors2]

Sorry to hear that you have itchies near your eye - nasty!

Sulphur (sp?) powder is supposed to work to kill (smother?) the horrid things.

Chiggerex ointment (which I bought at Walmart) really helped to subdue the itch. They are "supposed" to bite us on the torso, or wherever elastic clings to the body. Don't your chiggers know nuffin?????

I always thought they were a Southern thang, until we got some in a load of bark chips. Now they have made our deck their home.

[Starlight]

Oh shoot! Those nasty things are painful. I am sure there will be several folks that will offer remedies.

We have them bad here and of course I got into them major time when blackberry picking. Didn't know what the nasties were. I was covered all over . I was in misery. Neighbors thought it was funny and told me what I had was chigger bites.

They also told me to paint nail polish on the bites. I tried it and actually it made the situation worse. I ended up in the ER I couldn't stand the itching and pain.

The nurse that checks you in, she started laughing when I told her my problem. She also said I had the worse case she had ever seen. Then she told me to go home, get a bar of dog flea soap and take a shower with it. Get all lathered up and let it stay on for about 15 minutes. I just kept rubbing the soap around and in. Than I rinsed off. In a very short time, the welting, itching and red spots was all gone.

May sound crazy, but I keep a bar of the dog flea soap around and use it when I need to.

For very sensitive spots, like around your eyes, I don't know if I would use flea soap, but witch hazel on cotton balls and held in place for several minutes usually does the trick. I will use the witch hazel whenever I get just a few bites either that or some bleach and water mix.

MAybe this will help too.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/natur...ArticleContent

Only thing I know of to help keep them out of yard is to treat yard with sulfur. Seems they don't like it. Coating shoes and socks with it too before going outside is supposed to help if you don't want to spray yourself with bug spray.

I hope you can find some relief fast, especially for your eyes. That is very dangerous area.

[AlittleSalt]

Chiggers like grass. Especially domesticated grasses like St. Augustine. I know I am old fashioned thinking, but 70% rubbing alcohol stops the itch. As far as getting rid of them, well short of ripping all the grass out - there is Malathion and countless others. I'm sure there is some sort of organic method. I grew up with my father using the latest-greatest nuke-icide for insects.

I cannot grow grass because I'm allergic. That works out well, because our soil doesn't like grass either. So chiggers are not a problem here.

However, when Smokey flicks off a flea - it can magically jump counties just to land on me. And of course - I'm allergic to fleas. ITCHY- ITCHY, but don't scratch.

[saltmarsh]

I used to be a Red Bug magnet and my reaction to their bites left holes after they healed.

I haven't had a single bite since I started using Lavender scented bath powder. I sprinkle a little on my feet and legs before I put my socks on. Cheap, effective and smells good. Claud

[Worth1]

I have a anti itch thing I use and I have also use vicks vapor rub.
But in all of my life I have never ad then on my eyes.
It is all I can do to keep from touching the bites.

I need to find some sulfur in a huge bag.
Out in West Texas I could pick it up for free on the side of the road coming from the gas plants.
It would slosh out of the trucks.

Worth

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Chiggers like grass. Especially domesticated grasses like St. Augustine. I know I am old fashioned thinking, but 70% rubbing alcohol stops the itch. As far as getting rid of them, well short of ripping all the grass out - there is Malathion and countless others. I'm sure there is some sort of organic method. I grew up with my father using the latest-greatest nuke-icide for insects.

I cannot grow grass because I'm allergic. That works out well, because our soil doesn't like grass either. So chiggers are not a problem here.

However, when Smokey flicks off a flea - it can magically jump counties just to land on me. And of course - I'm allergic to fleas. ITCHY- ITCHY, but don't scratch.

You have a critter named Smokey too is it a cat or dog.

Worth

[Mojave]

A bird loving chigger? Is there any chance of it passing on some strange bird disease?

[cherokee]

Rub on a little kerosene or diesel fuel around the cuffs of your pants & boots, also waist band and shirt sleeve cuffs before going berry picking they can't hack it.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Mojave

A bird loving chigger? Is there any chance of it passing on some strange bird disease?

I have no idea, I think it was something I read on a reputable website like Texas A&M.

Since the chigger make this funnel and dissolves tissue and not sucking blood I doubt it but who knows.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...95039771,d.b2w

Worth

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by Worth1

You have a critter named Smokey too is it a cat or dog.

Worth

No, I was saying that your cat could flick off a flea - and it would land on me - multiple counties away. My cats have simple names, White Cat, Black Cat, Trouble, and Hey You.

[Sun City Linda]

when I first started to read your post and you said near your eyes I though oh no shingles but you seem to know your chiggers! Hope the itching goes away soon.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

when I first started to read your post and you said near your eyes I though oh no shingles but you seem to know your chiggers! Hope the itching goes away soon.

No not shingles, chiggers.
Every time I come hoke I get chiggers not and they itch for a week after I go to work.
When it first happened the itch would start at work.
I thought my bed at work had bed bugs or something.
Then I remembered chiggers from when I was a kid.
It stared the year my neighbors daughter in law planted rye grass in her yard in the winter and wouldn't mow it.
From then on chiggers.

Worth

[Sun City Linda]

Probably better than shingles.....

[greenthumbomaha]

Sorry to hear about your eye, how awful!

I got bitten so badly the other night that I just wanted to cry. I broke down and went to buy camping type bug spray but found an insect repellent with no deet - the acrive ingredient is lemon oil eucalyptus. It kept the bugs off on a sticky evening so a winner in my book. It smells just like pledge furniture polish, and you must apply every few hours. Makes being outdoors much more tolerable.

- Lisa