Mike Potts

If you ever walk off road, whether in the forest or grassland, you are exposed to chiggers. Their bites can be very irritating for several days. There are simple steps you can take to avoid chiggers and things to do and not do if you are bitten. Chiggers are the larval form of a mite that is actually an arachnid (like spiders and ticks), not an insect. The nymphs and adult chigger have eight legs like other arachnids, but the larva that bites you has only six legs and is very small and red in color. That accounts for their sometimes being called “red bugs”. Chiggers attach themselves to your clothes or skin when you come into contact with vegetation or surfaces that are infested. They usually migrate over your skin to an area where your clothing is tight against your skin or where there is a moist area such as the crotch and groin, back of the knee or armpit. There they dig in. A myth about chiggers is that they burrow into and remain inside your skin. What actually happens is that chiggers insert only their feeding structures into the skin and inject enzymes that break down the host tissue. The surrounding skin hardens and forms a feeding tube called a stylostome. The chigger larvae then feed on the destroyed tissue. If not disturbed, they may feed in one place for several days. If you scratch them loose and don’t take additional measures, they can just move over and bite again. A chigger bite itself is not felt. It is only after their digestive enzymes have been at work for a few hours that the itching begins. The itching is usually the most intense within one or two days after the bite and may last up to two weeks. By the time you notice the bite, the chigger may have already dropped off to molt into an adult form which does not feed on us. So how can you prevent something you don’t know is happening until it is too late? AVOIDANCE - Cover your shoes, socks, lower pant legs, lower legs and your arms with an insect repellent. It helps to tuck your pant legs into your socks. Always carry a small sheet of plastic to sit on if you ever need to stop for a break. If you carry a pack, take a second sheet of plastic to place under your pack to keep the chiggers at bay. This step is critical! As soon as possible upon return, take a hot, soapy shower and rub your skin vigorously all over. If bites show up later, do the shower again since the chiggers may be moving about on your body. Chiggers can live on your clothes for an indeterminate period of time. You can get them off your body and yet re-infect when you wear the clothes again. Wash your hiking clothes in hot water with detergent before wearing them again. If you don’t wish to over-wash those expensive Columbia pants, put them in the freezer overnight to kill any chiggers that may be on them. Then they are safe to wear again. TREATMENT – The chigger is not buried under your skin and may not even be present once you feel the symptoms. It is useless to apply nail polish, alcohol or any other substance in an effort to suffocate or kill the nuisance. All you can do at this stage (after another hot, soapy shower) is treat the symptoms and try to reduce your discomfort. Temporary relief measures include taking a cool shower or applying cool compresses, sitting in a cool bath or using bath products that contain colloidal oatmeal. You can reduce the inflammation and some of the itching by taking an oral antihistamine. Itch controlling lotions like calamine and or hydrocortisone lotions may help. I have no business arrangement with them, but I find the Majestic Jungle Remedy sold at Tuesday market is remarkably effective for controlling itching caused by bites. Lastly, although the chigger bites themselves do not produce long-term complications, excessive scratching may lead to infection. An antibacterial cream may be applied in that case. MORE HEALTH NEWS – Come to my presentation at BCP on the 17th of this month to learn how scientific research says you can reverse your stress response, increase your cancer fighting cells and boost your immune system with community drum circles. Amazing information!