How Do Chiggers Feed?
Once on our bodies, chiggers immediately look for areas where skin is thin or where it wrinkles and folds. This is why the most common areas for chigger bites are ankles, backs of knees, crotches, under belt-lines or in armpits. Their favorite feeding locations on humans are parts of the body where clothing fits tightly over skin: belt lines, waistlines, underwear, and under socks. They attach where flesh is thin, tender or wrinkled ? such as the ankles, armpits, back of the knees, front of elbow, and in the groin. Chiggers do not suck blood, nor do they burrow into our skin and die. Actually, chiggers attach themselves by piercing our skin with minute specialized mouthparts at hair follicles or skin pores. Once attached, they inject saliva containing a digestive enzyme that dissolves skin cells, liquefying our tissue. We usually do not notice chiggers for one to three hours after they start feeding. During this time, chiggers continually inject their digestive enzymes, eating a long n
