Chiggers! Quest for Knowledge!

[aveareya]

Okay! You know something about chiggers and their terrible bites? Post what you 'know' here! I've had different doctors tell me completely different things and the internet is 'helpful' as opinions vary. Different medicines actually vary too. Some go for the Chiggers burrow under your skin, so this medicine is just like fingernail polish, some go

Comments

[forestblend]

From what I know, chiggers are the cousins to ticks. They don't actually burrow under the skin at all. If you wash with soap and water soon after you get them on you, they wash right off. When they are given enough time, they bite you and secrete a sort of anti-coagulant into the wound so they can feed through what is essentially a tunnel in your skin. It's the anti-coagulant that's itchy. Your body forms a tiny scar around the tube/wound, which is why it takes so long to heal. The little hole actually has to fill in over time. They only stay on your skin for approximately 2-3 days, or until you take a shower, then they just fall off

[lilisonna]

I hate you, by the way. You and your evil tiny pieces of evil-plant resin. The chiggers, OTOH, think you gave them the tastiest snack ever.

I've been coating myself in calamine lotion and using the heat-method to suppress the itch.

(Heat method: take a hair-drying or a cloth soaked in water that is as hot as you can bear. Apply to itching location. It will itch like CRAZY-MAD-OMG-Gonna-Die for about a minute or so and then Stop Itching for several hours. This method does not work for everyone, but it works great for me.)

[forestblend]

Why you people don't drown yourselves (unless you're allergic, of course) In Deep Woods OFF during summer events, I'll never know.

But may I just say in my own defense... you didn't have to pick up every little tiny piece. You guys did that aaaaaaaaaall on your own. *evil grin* Though it was fun to watch.

[lilisonna]

I did! I sprayed until I coughed.

And riiiight. We're gonna leave evil plant-resin just hanging around.

[forestblend]

I guess you're just extra-tasty then. :-)

And you guys could easily have just left the little resin-bits there... they probably would have just sat there and looked pretty, not hurtin' anybody.

Probably.

[hapersmion]

I knew they were going to turn into sand, but it was more fun to pick them up. :)

How do you tell the difference between chiggers and mosquito bites, anyway?

[gingererer]

Chigger bites are usually much smaller, itch a whole lot more, and take a bit longer to heal up. Also, mosquito bites are usually on areas that you had exposed, such as arms, legs, and face. Chiggers usually go for snug places like under socks or in waist bands. They're also usually clustered in groups rather than randomly spread about.

[hapersmion]

I always wondered how the mosquitoes were biting me through my waistbands. :)

Guess I have quite a few as well. They really like the backs of my knees. *sigh* Oh well, it could be worse.