chiggers - wtf?

ali-1411

What the hell are chiggers?  We don't have these things in Michigan....

Jakob has them all around his waist from playing in the woods.  I'm off to Google but does anyone have any tips?

angelaggie

The Texas tales say they are little bugs that dig into your skin and live there.  Not true.  But they itch like hell.  I use to get those dang bites all the time as a kid.  They're in tall grass.

Sounds weird, but put nail polish on them.  Just cover the bite in clear nail polish.  It's easiest to do that.

The only other thing I've ever had work is Campho Phenique, which I have no idea where to buy.  Probably Walgreens. 

Caladryl doesn't work at all.  Neither does Benadryl cream.  They usually go away within a few days.

austxgrl

I thought the exact same thing the first time I heard of chiggers after moving here.  I have never had them and don't know much about them but I believe they are bugs that embed themselves just under the skin.  I have heard that putting nail polish on them works.  Good luck. 

angelaggie

MrsRosie:

Oh yeah, DH gets them from head to toe during the canoe race.  What he does is cover them in vaseline to suffocate the little critter that has buried itself under the skin.  ::shudder::  It works.

Forgot about vaseline, that works too.  Any oil based product that restricts air to the location.

ali-1411

We don't have any Vaseline, would A&D do the same thing? 

Can they live off the body?  He was in the woods yesterday, so I'm treating these like lice or something.  I just threw his bedding in the wash and I want to smoke bomb his room 

rssnlvr

courtesy of wiki:

"After crawling onto their host, they inject digestive enzymes into the skin that break down skin cells. They do not actually "bite," but instead form a hole in the skin called a stylostome and chew up tiny parts of the inner skin, thus causing severe irritation and swelling. The severe itching is accompanied by red pimple-like bumps (papules) or hives and skin rash or lesions on a sun-exposed area. For humans, itching usually occurs after the larvae detach from the skin."

emabend

Here is a good fact sheet about chiggers.

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

They don't embed into your skin per say.  They do however put a little hole in your skin and inject their digestive enzymes to dissolve your skin.  Then they suck up the liquid yummy-ness They will hang on your clothes and bedding, so you have to wash those things appropriately to get rid of them or you will reinfect yourself or others. 

AustinBride06

The "sun-exposed area" confused me because it seems like chigger bites really only happen in areas where clothing is tight against your skin... like around your ankle if you're wearing shoes/socks, at the back of your knee, around your panty line or waistband, etc.

I was also told that chiggers were actually spiders but I don't think that's true either.  The clear nail polish helps, as does the camphor.  I also swear by this stuff for any insect bites: Tei Fu. It has camphor in it and other stuff that I think helps soothe skin.  One tiny bottle will last you forever.

FusionLMT

ugh I hate those bastards. I got seriously eaten up the week before my wedding, and then the itching was so bad that I woke up one morning with bloody legs (from my lovely acrylics done for the wedding). I went to get a pedicure and the nail tech refused to do anything but paint the nails (no foot soak, no massage, etc.) Needless to say that was one wedding that didn't have the husband taking off the garter belt scene. Campho-phenique was the only thing that helped. It's in a little green bottle at any pharmacy section of any grocery store.

Spanishbeauty

I am SO allergic to those things.  I've only had one episode and it was HORRIBLE.  I scratched for a solid week.  The only thing that seemed to help me was to take benadryl, but then it knocked me out.  Suckage.  Sorry that he, and you, are having to deal with that!