Chiggers and Ticks

Why oh why do they have to be everywhere?!
I’m in southeastern Oklahoma and these little creeps are out in full force!
In the years leading up to buying our property to homestead I seldom considered this aspect of growing food and stewarding the land.
Now my questions are…
What can be done? What natural prevention is there?
How do others cope with this unavoidable reality of living off the land?
Thank you for your thoughts in advance!

Guinea hens will eat both bugs, the babies eat a lot of the itty ones.

I dress for them. Loose pants with the bottoms cinched tight, shirt tucked in. etc. I see a lot of them, have not had to remove a tick yet. When I have been out in the grass where chiggers live, I make sure to shower off as soon as I come in.

One of the clothes things that will block them both is pantyhose, worth considering. And much as I prefer to wear cottons etc, my work clothes are polyester, the ticks sliiiide right off!!  :D They can't get a grip on it.
And wash your clothes immediately. Won,t get all the tick off, check them thoroughly, but will get the chiggers.

Pearl Sutton wrote:Guinea hens will eat both bugs, the babies eat a lot of the itty ones.

I dress for them. Loose pants with the bottoms cinched tight, shirt tucked in. etc. I see a lot of them, have not had to remove a tick yet. When I have been out in the grass where chiggers live, I make sure to shower off as soon as I come in.

One of the clothes things that will block them both is pantyhose, worth considering. And much as I prefer to wear cottons etc, my work clothes are polyester, the ticks sliiiide right off!!  :D They can't get a grip on it.
And wash your clothes immediately. Won,t get all the tick off, check them thoroughly, but will get the chiggers.

Thank you for these tips, I really appreciate your input! I will be implementing them for sure. I’ve considered getting guineas but wasn’t sure if they would make a difference. It is definitely worth trying them.

Tori Escobar wrote: Thank you for these tips, I really appreciate your input! I will be implementing them for sure. I’ve considered getting guineas but wasn’t sure if they would make a difference. It is definitely worth trying them.

If you get guineas, consider setting up a "chicken moat" - 2 layers of fencing around a 'safe zone' with around a 5 to 8 ft gap. The guineas run around the moat preventing nasty things from getting to the inside.

You would need to put the guineas in the center part to begin with to clear that area.

I'm pretty sure that approach would help with the ticks, but we don't have chiggers. Ticks have a complicated life-span, (https://www.albanycounty.com/departments/health/programs-services/lyme-disease/life-cycle-of-deer-ticks) so keeping in check some of the smaller animals that may host them is also important.

Jay Angler wrote:

Tori Escobar wrote: Thank you for these tips, I really appreciate your input! I will be implementing them for sure. I’ve considered getting guineas but wasn’t sure if they would make a difference. It is definitely worth trying them.

If you get guineas, consider setting up a "chicken moat" - 2 layers of fencing around a 'safe zone' with around a 5 to 8 ft gap. The guineas run around the moat preventing nasty things from getting to the inside.

You would need to put the guineas in the center part to begin with to clear that area.

I'm pretty sure that approach would help with the ticks, but we don't have chiggers. Ticks have a complicated life-span, (https://www.albanycounty.com/departments/health/programs-services/lyme-disease/life-cycle-of-deer-ticks) so keeping in check some of the smaller animals that may host them is also important.

Jay, I really appreciate this idea. I would love to have my garden be said safe zone since it’s such an important place on the homestead.
I will definitely keep this in mind as we move forward with establishing things.
Thank you for the info on ticks. It’s good info to be aware of. Do you have dogs? If so, do you use regular prevention for the ticks? I currently do because they would be covered otherwise. I hate to use the poison on them but it seems to be the best option.
Thanks again!

Hi Tori,
I don't have any experience with chiggers, but in Maine we have our fair share of ticks. Because their life cycle is related to mice and deer, finding ways to keep those animals away is good. Keeping things clear of debris and keeping grass short.

Tori Escobar wrote:Do you have dogs? If so, do you use regular prevention for the ticks? I currently do because they would be covered otherwise. I hate to use the poison on them but it seems to be the best option.
Thanks again!

Hi, Tori!
We live in the woods, and have very active and abundant wildlife, including ticks, so I've tried everything non-toxic that I could, from essential oil blends to homemade powders, diatomaceous earth, and on and on. Even this bizarre and useless little plastic thing that ran on batteries, that hung from our dogs' collars. But, I discovered a new gadget, this spring, that actually is working,  beautifully! If the dog is running through the weeds, ticks will still find their way onto the dog, but as soon as the dog lays down, I've watched, amazed, while the ticks have run off of, and as far away as they could(before I killed them), as fast as they could get away from her! I've decided I want one for the other dog, me, and hubby, and possibly even the goats(the ticks don't seem fond of lanolin, so my sheep have been fine, so far). They aren't exactly 'cheap', at $80@, but they are supposed to last 2years, before they lose their charge. Once they are on the bug-free,  freshly bathed critter,  they must stay on, until they wear out, but they're waterproof, so bathing, swimming, etc is fine. No chemicals - they're aluminum tags, with some kind of ionic charge that synchs with the critters heart, and repels fleas, ticks, and apparently even mosquitos. Charlie has never been so un-itchy, during insect seasons.

Here's the link: https://drjudymorgan.com/products/fleasgone-tag-non-toxic-flea-and-tick-prevention

Disclaimer: I don't get ANYTHING for my endorsement of this thing, other than the sheer joy of helping as many critters as I can!

Oh - even though the worst case of chiggers I've ever had was here, in the Ozarks (but just outside of Branson), when I was a kid, I've not encountered them, on our land, yet, so I can't speak to that, with these tags.

Well this seems like something worth trying! I will definitely check it out.
Thank you so much!

not just little bugs can get you
got this critter today, glad I'm not dead

Have you considered prescribed fire? It has been shown by some studies to reduce populations. it also can work wonders on pasture and savanna landscapes for improving forage/browse, and it sounds like you do have animals that would benefit. So maybe fire in conjunction with fowl like guineas or chickens could really have an impact.

bruce Fine wrote:not just little bugs can get you
got this critter today, glad I'm not dead

Man! I’m glad you got him and he didn’t get you!
My husband just killed a small copperhead snake the other evening that slithered right in front of me. It’s a spooky world out there! Not as spooky as the modern supermarket though! 😂

Jordan Bantuelle wrote:Have you considered prescribed fire? It has been shown by some studies to reduce populations. it also can work wonders on pasture and savanna landscapes for improving forage/browse, and it sounds like you do have animals that would benefit. So maybe fire in conjunction with fowl like guineas or chickens could really have an impact.

Jordan, thank you for this idea. I did not consider this at all but I’ll have to look into it.

Chiggers were all new to me moving here.

About a week after arriving I was at a park with my five year old. One of the mothers close by commented how I was brave to sprawl out on what I saw as a beautiful, cool lawn in the 90f weather. I asked what she was afraid of and she replied chiggers. I brushed it off as being overly concerned about bugs, how bad could it be?

That night the itch began...four months! It took that long to heal the bites on the back of my knees.

I've since learned they REALLY like me. And my method of chop and dropping weeds on my property probably doesn't help. Here's what I've learned:

Dress for it whenever possible. Just like ticks. For me this isn't always practical as our heat gets extreme at times. Start dressing like this BEFORE it gets too warm or it will be too late. Currently have around sixty bites from two days of not paying attention.

Sulfur powder dusted on feet and arms helps as well.

As soon as you come in for the day undress and rinse off your body in hot water.

CHIGG AWAY works for prevention. While I don't like rubbing random products on my body, I'd rather die gardening than let those things have any more flesh. So does the woodland OFF, full of deet though. I used that last year while desperate.

Rubbing alcohol works to relieve itch if the bite is caught before it crusts. I like to wipe all my "crevices" wear the bites happen most, with an alcohol dampened rag when I come in. It only works for a little while and must be reapplied regularly.

Upon trying to find the above product and sulfur powder locally, without luck, the pharmacist said she had Chigarid. Also full of nasties but almost immediate relief for the bites. It treats the itch and seals the bites with a glue like substance.

I've ordered some powder sulphur to dust some specific patches of grass. Hoping the ecosystem regeneration will deal with the baddies over time.

Melonie Corder wrote:That night the itch began...four months! It took that long to heal the bites on the back of my knees.

I've since learned they REALLY like me. And my method of chop and dropping weeds on my property probably doesn't help.

Just take the bar of soap you bath with or what ever kind of soap you use to bath.

Lather it up and put that on the bites.  Dear hubby was a skeptic ... he no longer complains about chigger bites.

Melonie Corder wrote:Chiggers were all new to me moving here.

About a week after arriving I was at a park with my five year old. One of the mothers close by commented how I was brave to sprawl out on what I saw as a beautiful, cool lawn in the 90f weather. I asked what she was afraid of and she replied chiggers. I brushed it off as being overly concerned about bugs, how bad could it be?

That night the itch began...four months! It took that long to heal the bites on the back of my knees.

I've since learned they REALLY like me. And my method of chop and dropping weeds on my property probably doesn't help. Here's what I've learned:

Dress for it whenever possible. Just like ticks. For me this isn't always practical as our heat gets extreme at times. Start dressing like this BEFORE it gets too warm or it will be too late. Currently have around sixty bites from two days of not paying attention.

Sulfur powder dusted on feet and arms helps as well.

As soon as you come in for the day undress and rinse off your body in hot water.

CHIGG AWAY works for prevention. While I don't like rubbing random products on my body, I'd rather die gardening than let those things have any more flesh. So does the woodland OFF, full of deet though. I used that last year while desperate.

Rubbing alcohol works to relieve itch if the bite is caught before it crusts. I like to wipe all my "crevices" wear the bites happen most, with an alcohol dampened rag when I come in. It only works for a little while and must be reapplied regularly.

Upon trying to find the above product and sulfur powder locally, without luck, the pharmacist said she had Chigarid. Also full of nasties but almost immediate relief for the bites. It treats the itch and seals the bites with a glue like substance.

I've ordered some powder sulphur to dust some specific patches of grass. Hoping the ecosystem regeneration will deal with the baddies over time.

Thank you for your tips. I’ve started really being mindful about how I dress, spraying the bad stuff on my boots and showering when I come in from densely grassed places. I also put tea tree oil on my ankles wrists and tummy. Not sure if it helps but the combination of everything seems to be making a difference. Someone told me to use mineral oil on the skin before going out to work so I may try that too. With all the projects and clearing we are trying to do (mostly by hand), we must find solutions so we’re not miserable. I agree that I would rather use alittle poison than suffer those bites. They are horrible. Worst part about homesteading by far!