How do you get rid of chiggers ?
We have learned a lot about chiggers recently. By the time the itching starts, the chiggers are long gone. They have not laid eggs under your skin. They are not under your skin. A chigger makes a “straw” from its saliva (called a stylostome) that allows it to suck out your tissue (sounds worse than it is). Then it leaves. The straw is incredibly irritating. You can do nothing to stop the itching. Benadryl does not stop the itching. Chiggers are so microscopic that you never see them. They can penetrate only thin skin- knees, ankles, hips. They do not feed on blood. Taking a warm bath after playing in a grassy area can prevent the chiggers from attaching. Ointments can bring a tiny bit of relief but the straw stays embedded for weeks. You can not pull it out.
Take a bath or shower as soon as possible after any possible exposure to chiggers . For temporary relief of itching, apply ointments of benzocaine, hydrocortisone, calamine lotion, New Skin, After Bite. After returning from a chigger-infested area, launder the field clothes in soapy, hot water for about half an hour. Infested clothes should not be worn again until they are properly laundered and/or exposed to hot sunshine. Unlaundered clothes or those laundered in cool water will contain the biting chiggers to again reinfest your skin.
