How to Get Rid of Chiggers: Effective Solutions to Protect Yourself
For the outdoor enthusiast, few things are as frustrating as getting chigger bites. These tiny pests are common among areas that you likely frequent, like grassy areas or places with lots of trees, and their bites can be unbearably itchy.
If you’re tired of chiggers ruining your expeditions and leaving you scratching like mad, join us as we review some of the best ways to treat chigger bites and how something like permethrin-treated clothing can help prevent chiggers from biting you in the first place.
Understanding Chiggers: What You Need to Know
Chiggers (Trombiculidae) are the larval stage of a type of mite. They’re incredibly small, often only reaching 1/15th of an inch long, and they resemble tiny red ants. They’re parasitic, seeing as their food of choice is the skin of their hosts, and that’s why they’re such a nuisance for outdoor hobbyists.
These insects prefer warmth and high humidity, so they are typically the most abundant and active during the summer season. Combine the environmental conditions with the tall grass, weeds, or plentiful trees of most nature trails, and you have the ideal habitat for chiggers to thrive. They often latch onto their hosts when they walk through these areas.
After a chigger attaches to the skin to feed, it injects saliva that breaks down the host’s cells so they can eat them easily. The process, however, causes severe itching and sometimes inflammation around the bite area. If chigger bites are not taken care of promptly, they could potentially lead to infections, especially if you can’t help but scratch them!
How to Prevent Chiggers
Avoiding chiggers is the ideal solution, but that might seem impossible if you love the outdoors and live in an area with chiggers. Thankfully, there are still many ways you can protect yourself from a chigger’s insatiable appetite. These include the following:
Preventive Measures
If you’re able, bypass habitats or places where chiggers might be abundant, perhaps by staying on cleared trails as opposed to exploring tall grasses. It’s also best to wear long sleeves, long pants, and closed shoes to help keep chiggers from getting onto your skin.
Knowing that chiggers prefer warm and humid weather also enables you to use time to your advantage. Consider planning outdoor activities during times when chiggers are less active, such as early morning or late afternoon.
Using Insect Repellents
Steering clear is excellent, but how do you get rid of chigger bugs if you know you’ll be passing through their likely habitats? Generally, the best protection options are insect repellents such as permethrin spray for clothing and gear, permethrin-treated clothing, and topical repellents for exposed skin, such as those that contain DEET or Picaridin.
Do note that applying DEET to clothing may ruin certain synthetics, so for your gear, permethrin spray is the overall best choice. It’s specifically designed for fabric and provides long-lasting protection against chiggers and other pests.
Post-Exposure Practices
After being in an area with chigger activity, you need to know how to remove a chigger so it doesn’t have the chance to feed on you or anyone else after your time outdoors. Start by washing your clothes and taking a shower as soon as you get home. Heat-drying your clothes can also kill any remaining mites and ensure they won’t make your home theirs.
If you notice any bites or itchy areas, use an anti-itch cream to help with the discomfort, and as tempting as it may be, don’t scratch! Doing so can cause an open wound and dramatically increase your chances of getting infected. Common anti-itch creams usually include hydrocortisone or calamine lotion, so if you’re an avid outdoor enthusiast, it might be smart to keep them in your bag for emergencies.
Why Permethrin-Treated Clothing Is the Best Solution
What is the fastest way to get rid of chiggers? Permethrin-treated clothing! Permethrin itself is a synthetic insect repellent that mimics the natural insect-repelling properties of chrysanthemum flowers. It works by overstimulating their nervous system upon contact.
The Benefits of Insect Shield Products
Although knowing how to get chiggers off your back might be the biggest concern for you, they aren’t the only bugs that can spoil the joys of the great outdoors. Mosquitoes, ticks, and many other biting insects don’t like permethrin, either, so buying treated clothing and gear means you have a single solution to multiple pest problems.
Luckily for you, high-quality permethrin-treated clothing is exactly what we offer at Insect Shield; it’s sure to keep chiggers and other pests away so they won’t ruin your favorite activities! The protection against these bugs also lasts as long as the product does, making our gear a long-lasting and cost-effective choice.
Other Chigger Control Solutions
Even with all of the above information in mind, you might still feel the need to ask, “How do I get rid of chiggers for good?” It’s often best to use multiple chigger prevention methods together, as they often improve each other’s effectiveness and lower your chances of getting bit.
To that end, here are a few more tips and tricks regarding how to get rid of chiggers:
Yard Maintenance
If your own backyard qualifies as prime chigger real estate, the best way to get rid of them is to keep up with your yard’s maintenance needs. Keep your lawn well-maintained by mowing frequently, and do what you can to remove weeds and brush to eliminate chiggers’ favorite hiding spots. You can even use EPA-approved outdoor insecticides specifically labeled for mite control. These will be the most effective at getting rid of the pests.
Chigger-Repellent Sprays
Another option is to use a repellent spray. Topical sprays containing DEET or Picaridin can be effective, as they repel a wide range of biting insects, including chiggers. Just remember, that topical sprays need to be reapplied as directed throughout the day, so it’s best to use in conjunction with other strategies like wearing permethrin-treated clothing.
Natural Remedies
Many people may decide to take more natural approaches to repelling chiggers. Essential oils, like tea tree oil or eucalyptus blends, are a good place to start. Some homeowners even add birdhouses or plant flowers that attract natural predators that can help keep chigger populations to a minimum.
The effectiveness will likely vary with remedies like these, and you shouldn’t expect to see the same efficacy as a chemical like permethrin or permethrin-treated clothing. Nevertheless, they could be worth a shot if you’re looking for as many options as you can find.
Protect Yourself From Chiggers With Insect Shield
Knowing how to get rid of chiggers comes down to prevention and protection. There are many ways to shield yourself from these hungry pests, but permethrin-treated clothing and gear win out as a consistently effective barrier against these pests.
Explore right, and don’t let the chiggers bite; invest in protection with permethrin-treated clothing from Insect Shield! Browse through our catalog of treated clothing and gear and find something you’ll love today.
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