Chigger killing environments

Has anyone here found a successful way to reduce/eliminate a chigger population through changing the environment? In other words, have you been able to introduce chigger predators to your environment, and what have you found that works best here in the ozarks? (A list of predators at the bottom of this page... http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/chigger.htm) While there is snow on the ground I'm starting my battleplan for the spring. Any other ideas on how to kill these mother f*ckers?

Josh,

We have an abundance of predators due to planting plenty of what draws in the predators. Bad news...the chiggers are still winning! We have actual scars as a result of being eaten alive by those little devils! We have also had no real luck with the numerous items used to repel or block them. We are in central Virginia and chiggers are very bad here; in fact, I do not think it is possible to be any worse! I do hope some else has found a successful solution before it gets warm again. A warm day last week had me dreading their arrival, too.

We have plenty of ants but we also have chiggers!

When I mow my lawn I will often run the lawnmower in a path from the house to the garden and other points of interest. The lawn mower delivers to the side, and so the little pests are vacuumed up and tossed aside. Of course they come back, but it reduces the bites.

Hello, Josh and welcome to permies! It's good to have more Ozarks folks here

i think we only have chiggers in the mowed lawn....ours lawn area gets smaller each year as we let more grow up and plant other things. Even so over a wet summer they are bad and especially in newly mown grass. We have put a lot of faith in two guineas to eat ticks and maybe some chiggers this year.

edit to add...I think diet might play a part in how much we are bit...or even one's age. I know that when I was younger, but also eating much more meat and SUGAR, I would pick up chiggers where ever we were...totally raw ankles all summer. This is kind of an 'I don't know' answer I guess.

@Judith...

You may have something there! However, I do know firsthand that your one suggested cause / effect is incorrect. Our personal, lifelong diet precludes what you thought may be the catalyst. That being said, it is a known fact that mosquitoes eat some people more than others...So, it is reasonable to think chiggers are drawn to certain people for a reason! Which could include actual biological factors that may change over a persons lifetime...as you observed in your own life. Any science to back this up, from anyone, would be great! We also, get bit up all the time in non-lawn areas; so for us at least, I think it is a matter of an overpopulation of the devils. When we first moved here, we also had a massive amount of ticks...being bit on the elevated front porch within a minute of going out the door. We picked up about a dozen roosters and things have gotten better, but, they are still abundant as well.

Judith Browning wrote:Hello, Josh and welcome to permies! It's good to have more Ozarks folks here

i think we only have chiggers in the mowed lawn....ours lawn area gets smaller each year as we let more grow up and plant other things. Even so over a wet summer they are bad and especially in newly mown grass. We have put a lot of faith in two guineas to eat ticks and maybe some chiggers this year.

edit to add...I think diet might play a part in how much we are bit...or even one's age. I know that when I was younger, but also eating much more meat and SUGAR, I would pick up chiggers where ever we were...totally raw ankles all summer. This is kind of an 'I don't know' answer??? I guess.

I know guineas will eat ticks, but do they eat chiggers? Has anyone had any luck with diatomaceous earth killing the little scar creators? It seems to me that DE would be a hard way to go, because chiggers cover such a wide area.

Through a little research I found that Jewelweed(Impatiens capensis) is commonly used to treat bites and stings and such. Although it doesn't kill chiggers, it seems that it does help reduce their effects. This is a plant I haven't tried. Anyone having success with it?

So has anyone had any experience with Pyrethrum as an organic pesticide? See Mother Earth article about it HERE. Tansy is another one I've found that is used to repel mosquitoes, beetles, and ticks, but they don't mention chiggers. Wiki HERE

@Josh...

We test patched DE last year...no luck. Spreading it everywhere may work; however, we will not do that since it will kill our good bugs too. We used an rx cream from the doctor that helped with the swelling and itching as none of the natural formulas helped us. Also, no natural topicals kept them off of us. This winter we have been drinking our coffee with 1/4 chicory; as I remember, that it is ofen drank in the south to ward off all biters. We bought it in bulk on Amazon, so it was fairly freshly packed and not costly. My spouse likes it; I taste a chemical taste from it...but, I will drink it all April preparing for the May-Sept. onslaught. I will report back on our results; but, you may just want to give it a shot too!

We're in central Illinois, also chigger country. Last Spring (2014) I bought a 10 lb. bag of "feed grade" sulfur powder and used it this season. I'm cautiously optimistic, I did get bit but I think the times I got bit most were when I either didn't use the sulfur or was lax about applying it. I found the best technique was to put some in a sock and swing/hit myself all over with it, carrying the sock around my belt also in order to re-apply. I'm going to stay with sulfur next year and be more disciplined about using/carrying it along with the other known practices including showers when I come in, pants tucked in, long sleeves, etc.

@ Micheal...

We will check into the sulfur; have not tried that yet. On the use of chicory...


I did not get bit at all for months...then I stopped drinking chicory...and my feet are killing me as I type! The buggers got me on single trip in the yard in flip flops. (I now have my chicory coffee in hand even as I write, lol) I thought chicory had not been the cause / effect because my spouse was bit up all summer (about half as much as prior year) while drinking the chicory also. Our experience indicates it does work very well for certain body chemistry and not so well for others.

I call them little bastards myself. I've always read they live in tall grass, over 6 inches and have noticed that's when I get them most but can also get them in the woods. Chickens won't eat them as they're too small for them to see but keets are supposed to eat them. My son and I are chigger magnets but wife and daughter don't get them. We pretty much all eat the same things so I don't know if diet makes a difference but I just started eating quite a bit of garlic for health reasons and am hoping it will help. Will help with the skeeters at least.

I too would love to know how to deal with these bastards in a permie way. Right now, I'm tempted to try my friend's advice and go the controlled burn route. But that might just be the infernal itching and subsequent lack of sleep and garden time talking..Anywho, since I've been stuck inside for fear of getting yet more bites in the most indecent of places, I have been researching trying to find a solution. I don't know that I'm any closer to one, but thought I'd share some of what I discovered in my quest. From what little research I could find, it seems that chiggers have "tremendous “ecological potency”, occupying regions within a wide variety of temperature, vegetation, and pH of the soil. In an experimental study, the type and layers of vegetation or organic matter, morphological surface of the soil, and the amount of moisture and solar radiation had no significant affect on the distribution of N. autumnalis."

I feel like we have definitely noticed a serious increase in their presence this year, even though we went a month without real rain. We have even been getting bit in the garden, much of which is mulched with woodchips. I have to wonder if the 17 or more truckloads of leaves we saved from going to the dump and then distributed throughout our garden and surrounding areas may have been helpful to them. Or possibly even brought in adults/eggs from other sites. It sounds like they do like to overwinter and/or lay eggs in leaf litter. One of the worst rounds of bites happened when we were in a shaded area where we had put copious amounts of leaves. No understory vegetation present.
If the leaves did lead to the increased numbers, it makes me wonder if turning them into leaf mold first would reduce said issue? We had so many, that lots of the leaf bags were just emptied out onto the ground as is.

"While no predators of Neotrombiculus autumnalis have been recognized in the literature thus far, strategies to reduce the number of pests in the field have involved the use of gamasid species Amblyseius cumcumeris and A. agrestis. (Scholer, 2006)"
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Neotrombicula_autumnalis/#habitat
So possibly these other mites could battle with the bad ones? I always wonder when introducing beings like that whether there could be unintended consequences or innocent bystanders though.

Another discovery I made was that applying an oil or salve all over does seem to hinder their ability to ascend up the body. I tried it and got no bites above the ankles. But if you wear socks, as most suggest when venturing into chigger territory, the oil rubs off on them and you end up with all the bites concentrated on the feet. 100ish chigger bites in one place really dials up the crazy making factor.

Multiple Environmental Factor Analysis in Habitats of the Harvest Mite Neotrombicula autumnalis (Acari: Trombiculidae) Suggests Extraordinarily High Euryoecious Biologyweb

While not specifically about chiggers, perhaps some leads on predators here?
Natural Enemies of Mites

I read another article by an MD saying that household vinegar was a great treatment to apply after possible exposure. He claimed it would reduce itching and shorten the duration or even possibly prevent the papules forming if applied early enough. Tried this with some benefit, but I didn't catch them until after they were already itchy welts, so hard to know. Seemed worth a shot, given the minimal effort. I saw a few people suggesting vinegar as a repellant as well.

Through a little research I found that Jewelweed(Impatiens capensis) is commonly used to treat bites and stings and such. Although it doesn't kill chiggers, it seems that it does help reduce their effects. This is a plant I haven't tried. Anyone having success with it?

I tried Jewelweed with the worst round of bites and found it offered some relief, but it did not last very long. But then nothing really did. I haven't tried it on single, isolated bites. That might be a better gauge of effectiveness than the 100 concentrated ones on my feet, but I digress. I took several plants, ran them through the blender with a bit of water (might have used a little witch hazel?) and strained the juice off. I froze this into ice cubes for later use. These are what I used. I do wonder if the cold was what created part of the relief.  Some folks make salves and soaps out of jewelweed, which might work differently. You could also use the fresh plant (though I'd wash it first to make sure there aren't chiggers on it!). This works better with younger plants, as they get kind of fibrous and less juicy with age. But if you crush up the stem, especially near the root, you can use that as a poultice.
Mostly, I use a plantain (Plantago major or lanceolata) salve as my go to and found it helps quite a bit with more isolated bites. It is good for drawing stuff out and helps prevent secondary infections as well as speed healing. I am going to try making a salve of plantain and pine resin to see if that can help draw things out better from these awful bites. I wonder if its the stylosome that makes them so itchy and if so, if it can be dissolved or drawn out more quickly.
I also read that Wild Cherry (Prunus serotina) can help reduce histamine reactions, but have not been able to find much about how best to use it or if that would be appropriate in this situation.

My understanding is that it takes about 15 minutes for a chigger to settle in and start its insidious attack.

For a permi approach I have found if I stop what I am doing about every 15 minutes and just use my hands to rub off my clothing and my skin. It helps a lot. I have to follow this routine religiously and it seems to reduce the bites considerably, not completely but it does help. It does require me to basically strip naked and vigorously rub my whole body especially my jibbly bits that they seem to really enjoy.
  This method may not be for city folk or those that garden with there children. Then as soon as I have finished my out door work for the day I take off all my clothes leaving them outside, take a shower and put on clean clothes.

Probably not the most popular solution is I know military types who when in the weeds maneuvering they wear pantyhose. This protects their bottom half at least from being eaten.

Wash with Listerine. I found that after washing in the shower and pour on me listerine and leaving it for a couple of seconds it burns at first but immediately after you feel a lot cooler ; it offers tremendous relief from the nasty bites. I also use a shower gel called village naturals therapy for aches and pains muscle relief foaming bath oil and body wash . It has eucalyptus spear meant and menthol available at Walmart . I only scrub my body with it not my head because it is super strong . I live in Central  Florida here chiggers are almost permanent. Rinse the two products very well . Finish with cool water . Good luck. Stay healthy

Hi Cynthia,

In a similar manner, I use alcohol.

I walk barefoot in early spring and after my first round of chigger bites I start wearing taller socks (ankle-calf height) and fully enclosed shoes. It's a matter of exposure for me and I'm someone that bugs especially love to bite. Also, if you squat down alot, such as in the garden, if your inner leg/groin touches your ankles you'll get bites in those areas. I try to avoid having any grass touch my bare skin and that seems to help. If I get a lot of grass touching my skin then I try washing with soap and water as soon as I come inside. The BEST treatment for any bites is Bee Venom Cream. I buy this from a local woman who sells each year at the Baker Creek Seed Spring Festival. This stuff works immediately on any itchy bug bite I've ever had, it's incredible!

Are there any tiny insect mite predators that someone like Arbico Organics might sell?  I wonder if there is an insect that is more effective at eating just chiggers.

I work in Tanney county and stone county cutting trees. I put flea collars on my boots around ankles with decent success. You might try that.

I've also ordered sulfer powder. I'm pretty sure that works well enough too. Put it in a sock and beat it on your legs/ankles before going into the brush.

There's also a fungus that kills ticks and chiggers that goes in the soil. Last I checked it's almost impossible to find.

If anyone has any good suggestions, I'd very much appreciate it!

Just learning about these little demons. Over the past month I've gotten well over a hundred bites. Worried of infection from my nighttime scratching...One bite bothers me for 4+ weeks,  I haven't slept well since June. literally look like I have measles, afraid to go in public in shorts for "fear of monkeypox" which my man pointed out they look like a well. If it's a body part,  I have bites there.  Except my head. At least.

Has anyone found solutions they use with success?

Here is what we're doing.  Long sleeves, high socks and boots.  Cutting grass more often, which makes me sad. Spraying every essential oil known to repel any bug. Naked, brushing and showering once inside.

Today I'm trying Sulphur on socks,  well oiled hands, wrists and ankles.

Please pray for me.

Melonie Corder wrote:Has anyone found solutions they use with success? ...
Today I'm trying Sulphur on socks,  well oiled hands, wrists and ankles.

I have always used sulfur dusting.

What I have found is sometimes I get some bites because I didn't use the sulfur.

Quite by accident, I found that putting a dab of soap on the bite helps them quit itching and the bite seems to heal faster.

I use just bath soap.

Anne Miller wrote:I have always used sulfur dusting.

What I have found is sometimes I get some bites because I didn't use the sulfur.

Quite by accident, I found that putting a dab of soap on the bite helps them quit itching and the bite seems to heal faster.

I use just bath soap.

Anne, when you dust with the sulfur, do you only put it on your clothes? Or do you ever dust skin with it? I haven't been able to find whether it is safe on skin beyond "it depends" type answers. Also, does it stain clothes? I don't mind my work clothes getting messed up, but the chiggers seem to be all over my yard and I can't always wear work clothes.

My sympathies to all suffering from the chiggers. I am still trying to understand what changes I can make that reduce their numbers and not having much luck. They're just as bad this year, if not even worse. It seems strange, because usually what I observe is that once an organism hits a certain population density, some other organism shows up and checks them. Yet it seems like this doesn't happen with the chiggers and I have to wonder why. Or maybe it does and its just the sheer awfulness of when I do get them that makes me think there must be millions. I can't help but think that if I better understood what role the chiggers play in the ecosystem, I could figure out how to thwart them.

The fact that the bites don't become immediately obvious makes it very hard to track where they are most dense. It seems to be just all over my yard in random places. This makes it hard to figure out what those areas have in common and what actions I could try to reduce the issue. If anyone has figured out a good way to track where the tiny terrors actually are, that seems like it could help in finding solutions.

As for tending to the bites once they happen, I made two interesting discoveries this year. My mom told me that when she puts saliva on her bites, that they heal much, much faster. It sounds silly, but it is what animals do and it turns out, there are many elements to saliva that do speed wound healing. So I tried it and it does seem to help speed the process significantly. I also found a tool called the bug bite thing. It just creates suction on the bite. Supposedly, it draws out the venom or insect saliva from bites. I don't know about that, but it does seem to provide some level of relief when used soon after you notice the bite. If nothing else, it gives the same relief as scratching, but without the injury and secondary infection risk. I found similar relief from some silicone massage cups that I have, which have the benefit of doing double duty for helping with achy muscles, if you know how to use them. The downside is, neither tool works in places with hair, which tends to be where the little bastards want to bite.

Heather, I put it on my skin and clothes without any ill effects.  I don't have sensitive skin so someone with sensitive skin might have side effects.

If it can be taken internally, I see no reason not to use it on the skin.

Is sulfur good for digestion?
Sulfur contributes to fat digestion and absorption, because it is needed to make bile acids. Sulfur is also a constituent of bones, teeth, and collagen (the protein in connective tissue).

@ peacehealth.org

People who took sulfur baths and other spa therapies saw improvements in their strength, had less morning stiffness, had better walking ability, and experienced ...

@ mountsinai.org

This post has a recipe from Mother Earth News:

https://permies.com/t/83618/advice-farm-sitting-grid-acreage#692897

I have not tried that recipe though I have heard that it works.

Anne Miller wrote:Heather, I put it on my skin and clothes without any ill effects.  I don't have sensitive skin so someone with sensitive skin might have side effects.

If it can be taken internally, I see no reason not to use it on the skin.

Is sulfur good for digestion?
Sulfur contributes to fat digestion and absorption, because it is needed to make bile acids. Sulfur is also a constituent of bones, teeth, and collagen (the protein in connective tissue).

@ peacehealth.org

People who took sulfur baths and other spa therapies saw improvements in their strength, had less morning stiffness, had better walking ability, and experienced ...

@ mountsinai.org

This post has a recipe from Mother Earth News:

https://permies.com/t/83618/advice-farm-sitting-grid-acreage#692897

I have not tried that recipe though I have heard that it works.

Thank you, Anne! I will give the sulfur dusting a try. My skin can be a bit sensitive, so perhaps a small patch test first.

I started taking methylsulfonylmethane (MSM, a form of sulfur) this spring, used in a similar manner to that recipe. I think it was after reading that post of yours, ha. Alas, I had to stop because it seemed that as mentioned in the linked article, due to it being antibiotic, it can throw off the microbiome of some women. So unfortunately, I never learned if it worked for me. It sure seems like a great possible solution for folks it agrees with!

Anne Miller wrote:
I have always used sulfur dusting.

What I have found is sometimes I get some bites because I didn't use the sulfur.

Quite by accident, I found that putting a dab of soap on the bite helps them quit itching and the bite seems to heal faster.

I use just bath soap.

I plan to do this but couldn't find Sulphur powder yesterday. Got 2 new bites so I'm going to try soap. I've used salt mixed with coconut oil with a little success, among other attempts. Almost any relief seems to only last a few minutes, an hour or two tops. Thank you for the suggestion.

Melonie said, "I plan to do this but couldn't find Sulphur powder yesterday

Sulfur usually can be found at the big box stores in the Gardening Dept.

Anne Miller wrote:

Melonie said, "I plan to do this but couldn't find Sulphur powder yesterday

Sulfur usually can be found at the big box stores in the Gardening Dept.

Right. We have very limited options.

I have always been a chigger magnet and had a couple of infestations so bad that, if my mom hadn’t been a nurse, they would have hospitalized me. As I have aged I get way fewer bites so the diet theory is interesting. I do know that sprinkling sulfur powder around my socks and ankles and sleeves and wrists works very well. Seems like I remember my dad fixing me a bucket with a paint brush in it to apply it whenever I was going to be at risk. The problem was that I was constantly at risk because I lived the hours of daylight ripping around on the horses and playing in the fields. My worst incident was on a blackberry picking expedition with my grandmother and I had bites on every inch of my body, nose, ears and worse. Had nightmares for years…

Sulfur can cause a low grade chemical burn and damage the skin. It's very unpleasant when this happens and takes long time to heal, it happened to me.

I have some experience making sulfur ointment for scalp and skin conditions.
If concentration of sulfur is too high or it kept on for too long it can cause lasting damage.

Sulfur dust is also dangerous to inhale, it's irritant and definitely should avoid repeat exposure inhaling the dust.
When making sulfur product, its concentration officially shouldn't be over 10%, but I personally would not go above 5% for anything that does skin contact.

Lexie Smith wrote:I have always been a chigger magnet and had a couple of infestations so bad that, if my mom hadn’t been a nurse, they would have hospitalized me. As I have aged I get way fewer bites so the diet theory is interesting. I do know that sprinkling sulfur powder around my socks and ankles and sleeves and wrists works very well. Seems like I remember my dad fixing me a bucket with a paint brush in it to apply it whenever I was going to be at risk. The problem was that I was constantly at risk because I lived the hours of daylight ripping around on the horses and playing in the fields. My worst incident was on a blackberry picking expedition with my grandmother and I had bites on every inch of my body, nose, ears and worse. Had nightmares for years…

I don't believe that diet affects bug bites in reality.
(it might affect body's reaction to bites, though, as it affects general health and can make one more susceptible to allergic reactions).

Some people claim they don't get bitten, don't get interest from insects - I believe they just don't produce reaction to the bites so they think they don't get bitten.
There's that myth that people who eat tons of garlic (which contains sulfur) get less interest from mosquitos. I love to eat lots of garlic and onion but I suffer from mosquitos and ticks terribly. And immune to chiggers.

As to supplements...I used to dabble in them a lot, years ago. My conclusion is that they're mostly risky, there's no reason to put something in your body that is not contained in natural foods (unless one's diet is deficient to begin with, but this can be addressed by changing the diet). Purity of supplements is also always questionable. I wouldn't use any supplement now except bee pollen. It's not safe to put things out of natural balance, especially minerals. If one needs particular mineral the body will let one know by craving the food containing it (unless the person badly damaged themselves by eating only processed foods for years).

I tried different things against bugs before and came to conclusion that there's only one solution: relocation to where there're less bugs, if one is bothered by bites. I grew up elsewhere being able to lay in the grass without worrying about being bitten by anything, this whole buggy grass thing in the Eastern States thing is starting to get old.

I fully believe it does. Everything we eat affects our pheromones. When I drink coffee I'm definitely stinky and more attractive to mosquitoes than when I'm not. Not sure why this couldn't do the opposite.  

I don't believe that diet affects bug bites in reality.
(it might affect body's reaction to bites, though, as it affects general health and can make one more susceptible to allergic reactions).
Some people claim they don't get bitten, don't get interest from insects - I believe they just don't produce reaction to the bites so they think they don't get bitten.
There's that myth that people who eat tons of garlic (which contains sulfur) get less interest from mosquitos. I love to eat lots of garlic and onion but I suffer from mosquitos and ticks terribly. And immune to chiggers.
As to supplements...I used to dabble in them a lot, years ago. My conclusion is that they're mostly dangerous, there's no reason to put something in your body that is not contained in natural foods (unless one's diet is deficient to begin with, but this can be addressed by changing the diet). Purity of supplements is also always questionable. (I wouldn't use any supplement now except bee pollen)

I ended up with a bit of land in the south, and im about to break down and wear fishing waders to clear it lol.
After 5 mins of walking around I pulled off nearly one hundred seed ticks, god knows how many chiggers I got in my shoes. Im a bit surprised nobody has figured out how to deal with them, short of a propane torch.

aurora sev wrote:I ended up with a bit of land in the south, and im about to break down and wear fishing waders to clear it lol.
After 5 mins of walking around I pulled off nearly one hundred seed ticks, god knows how many chiggers I got in my shoes. Im a bit surprised nobody has figured out how to deal with them, short of a propane torch.

I have heard that paw paw leaves can be smashed creating an unpleasant smell that will repeal some insects, possibly mosquitoes. Have yet to find any other successful solutions. Left some dry soap on my lower legs once but the bugs just crawled further up my legs. Probably does not help that I eat maple syrup everyday

Has anyone tried beautyberry tincture for chiggers and ticks? I haven’t really had a need to use it this summer but hope to next year. I have read that it’s an “insect repellent” but never seen anything specific. I had some real successes using stems with leaves and berries in annoying the fire ants infesting my greenhouse but I have no idea if it will help with other nasties. The beautyberry is covered with fruit in central Alabama this time of year so I thought I’d mention it.

I put liquid bandage like a new layer of skin over the bites as soon as they start itching. I think it suffocates them. No more itching or bubbling.

Lots of great tips here. Thanks!

We were raised up putting finger nail polish on chigger bites to “smother” the chigger but I recently read that the chigger bites and drops away almost immediately and the swelling and itching is a response to the venom in its saliva. I have been making a tincture of goldenrod blossoms and mimosa leaves in alcohol and I spray it on anything I once used Benadryl cream or ointment on and it works spectacularly well, especially if I can apply it early on. I use this stuff on all bites and stings and it does better than anything prescription or OTC that I’ve ever tried. On fire ant bites, it prevents the pustule they cause from ever forming and takes the sting out immediately. Either mimosa or goldenrod (harvested best right before bud break) will do the job, I just tried the 1:1 mixture as an experiment since they both do the same thing.