Chiggers

[bike4ever]

So I was out at a local trail last Thursday. By the time I got home, the lower half of my right leg was beginning to "bug" me. So, it seems I attracted a batch of chiggers. What remedies have you found successful?

Today, Monday, I am finally not attacking my legs. They do look like a war zone though.

[makbike]

Have you tried clear fingernail polish? There is also an OTC product "Chigger Aid" that I've been told works.

[KnottedYet]

I've used clear fingernail polish. Smothers the little buggers a treat!

[bike4ever]

I did use the fingernail polish - really burned on contact. It still took a few days before the itching stopped. My legs looked funny with shiney welts on them from the polish.

I wasn't aware of the Chigger Aid - definitely will have to look into that one.

[crazycanuck]

Chigger?

C

[bmccasland]

Having reacquainted myself with the evil little bugs when I moved back to Louisiana - I feel your pain Bike4ever.

CC - they're an EVIL little mite, almost impossible to see that crawls up your legs or arms to sheltered areas, injects digestive enzymes, and then feeds off your blood.

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

Shower immediately after you come in from beating in the weeds. I've found hydrocortisone cream helps, applied frequently. Of course this was after I scratched myself - my reintroduction was over 100 bites. I haven't tried the fingernail polish method, but the idea is that you'll smother the buggers and they'll die.

Evil nasty little bastards.

[Kimmyt]

OMG over 100 chigger bites! I get one or two and I feel like I'm going to diiiiiiiiieeeee of itchiness!

I just reapply and reapply and reapply that alcohol based anti-itch cream stuff. And then swear I'll never sit in the grass in the summer again. And then forget and do the same thing next week.

Damn bugs...

[chort]

I've used clear fingernail polish. Smothers the little buggers a treat!

Just wanted to add - DO NOT shave after this. I made that mistake - forgot I had it all over my legs and I cut myself up good!!!!!

[bike4ever]

bmccasland - Thanks for the rather disgusting yet very informative article on these devil bugs.

I had applied bug spray before the original ride. I get very large welts when bitten by mosquitoes so I make every effort to try and eliminate them. I've been lazy lately and just used the Avon bug spray (swiped it from my mom in VA). This has worked fine for mosquitoes.

I will definitely apply my deet this Thursday before riding there again. Yes I am returning since this trail is one of the most challenging and closest in our area.

[emily_in_nc]

Our yard has been infested with chiggers in the summer ever since we got a truckload of mulch that was full of them. We use organic methods of gardening and have so much wildlife that we can't spray the whole yard with a pesticide, so we just live with them. It sucks!

The only thing that seems to help is stripping immediately upon coming in after working in the yard -- putting all clothing into the laundry basket, hitting the shower and soaping down all over. Even doing this, we always manage to get a few bites, and they do itch like the devil. We use 1% hydrocortisone cream, which does help, but must be reapplied when they start itching again. It usually takes about a week for the itch to be completely gone.

One of the pleasures of living in the south -- not!

Emily

[RoadRaven]

Thanks for asking CC... I opened this thread wondering what the heck chiggers were... now I kinda wish I didn't...

Thank goodness we have nothing like that (to my knowledge) here in Middle Earth!

[Aggie_Ama]

Clear nail polish for the last time when I had about 5. I got them in the hundreds when I was in girl scouts, my Pawpaw got my the Chigger Aid and it worked well but it may burn.

Those things are evil, my neighbor said he had them but I haven't been hit *YET*.

[Sky]

I haven't tried this myself, but my son puts strips of clear tape on his bites and he says that stops the itching.

[singletrackmind]

Ugh, chiggers!! So far we've been lucky, though the step-daughter got a mess o' seed ticks last week geocaching at Route 66. Chiggers are way worse, but seed ticks are next on my list.

Greensfelder? Chubb? Klondike? Somewhere else?

[DebW]

I hate chigger bites worse than black fly bites, but luckily those two are mutually exclusive so I happily live in the Northeast. But got 2 chigger bites in my armpit last weekend in NJ. The worst part of chiggers is often WHERE they bite you.