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How Do You Get Rid Of Chiggers In Your Lawn

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Why Chigger Bites Itch

How to Get Rid Of Chiggers in Your Home, Yard, and Bed Naturally

A chigger is so small that you don’t feel it bite there’s no tickle of something crawling on you. By the time you realize it’s been feeding, it’s too late. The damage is done. Contrary to popular belief, chiggers don’t burrow into your skin or suck your blood. When they bite, they inject enzymes that dissolve skin. Your body’s immune system responds to the bite by forming a hard wall of cells, which creates a straw the chigger uses to sip liquid skin.

Your immune response is basically an allergic reaction to chigger spit, and that’s what causes the intense itching and scabby rash. Chiggers like tight spaces, so they tend to bite where your clothes are snug places that create a very uncomfortable itch.

Discourage Other Animals From Entering Your Yard

Chiggers feed on mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, so you should do what you can to prevent these animals from entering and hanging around your yard. Get rid of sources of water to discourage amphibians and reptiles, and remove areas of dense foliage to do the same for small mammals. In addition to this, make sure that your yard is properly fenced, and keep your trash cans covered.

Chiggers In Your House

Wondering if Chiggers can get in your house? If so, what can be done?

In this guide you will learn:

  • How can Chiggers get in your house,
  • Common Signs that you have Chigger in your house,
  • How to Get Rid of Chiggers from your house,
  • How to Identify Chigger bites & Prevent Chigger Infestation in your home.

Chiggers, the larval form of the harvest mite, are parasitic arachnids related to ticks and spiders. They can be a nuisance and a pest.

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How To Keep Chiggers Off Of You When Youre Outside

Even when using yard repellents for Chiggers, youll still want to protect yourself. If you know there are Chiggers in your yard, wear boots, long pants , and a long shirt.

So, if you are looking for the easiest alternatives to what kills chiggers on the skin, you need to know. Wearing Gaiters is also a highly effective option against Chiggers and other insects.

We also recommend one of the following Chigger Repellents, which are specifically designed to keep Chiggers off your skin and your clothing. These products all contain safe chemicals or pesticides:

For natural repellents, we recommend:

  • Amrita Bugs BeGone Essential oil-based product that is effective at repelling Chiggers and other insects. Has a pleasant lemon smell.
  • No-Bite-Me Natural repellent that is safe for kids and infants

Clean And Vacuum Floors And Carpets:

How To Get Rid of Chiggers

Cleaning a hard floor is pretty straightforward. A broom and dustpan, the floor cleaner of your choice and a rag or mop and bucket, and maybe a towel to dry it faster, and youre good to go.

Cleaning a carpet from chiggers, beyond vacuuming, takes a little more effort.

There are a couple of ways you can give your carpet a good scrub to make sure the chiggers are gone. If you have more time and want to save money, there are a few methods for hand-washing.

One way to hand-wash your carpet in a longer time frame but on the cheap is to mix one part white vinegar with three parts water in a bucket .

Dip the bristles of a scrub brush into the mixture and rub them into the carpet to kill any chiggers in the carpet.

Dont fully soak or saturate the carpet, but work the bristles and the mixture in well, then blot up excess liquid with a clean cloth or towel.

If this method doesnt appeal to you, there are other hand-washing methods of deep-cleaning your carpet that are easy to look up. Just remember to follow directions and to test anything you try on a small area first.

If you have the ability, a tried-and-tested way to get your carpet clean is to rent or buy a steam-cleaner.

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Apply Diatomaceous Earth On Chigger Hot Spots

Apply diatomaceous earth onto the chigger hot spots that you identified in the first step. Diatomaceous earth is a fine, white, powdery substance made out of the fossils of small aquatic creatures called diatoms. It has both a dehydrating and lacerating effect when it comes into contact with pests, which is why it is often used as a natural, organic pesticide to get rid of chiggers and other garden pests such as ants. When ingested, the diatomaceous earth will kill chiggers by dehydrating them. And, if chiggers walk over the diatomaceous earth, the granules are so sharp that they will kill the pests by cutting into them.

Method: Purchase some diatomaceous earth, such as this Safer Crawling Insect Killer which has been specially formulated to eliminate ticks, ants, and other crawling pests. Wear protective clothing including gloves, goggles, and a face mask. Either by hand or using a lawn spreader, apply the diatomaceous earth around your yards perimeter, and spread it over the identified chigger hotspots. Pay extra attention to the areas that have the ideal shady, overgrown, humid conditions in which chiggers are often found.

Does Bleach Kill Chiggers

Bleach does kill chiggers, but the problem is that you dont want to get bleach on your skin.

Even though the bite areas are itchy and you suspect them to be present, never use bleach directly on your skin.

Theres an old recipe around the web where you mix one part bleach with 12 parts water, then dabbing it with a bottom ball and rubbing it on your skin around the bite areas to kill chiggers.

I would recommend against using any bleach on yourself- even diluted bleach. Bleach will be very damaging to your skin, especially where there are bites as it makes it easier to contact your flesh.

What I would suggest in terms of using this stuff to kill chiggers would be for clothing.

After a day out in a grassy area and seeing yourself covered with chigger bites, you can apply bleach to clothing or articles that you think they may be latched onto.

Remember, chiggers are very good at grabbing ahold of your clothes to get to your skin. If youve gotten bites, you can be pretty sure that you have more chiggers on your clothing.

This is where bleach comes in handy. You can apply the bleach directly to any clothing, shoes, belts, pants, shirts, or other articles that you think the chiggers may have been in contact with.

Of course, dont apply this stuff if youre afraid that the bleach may discolor your clothing. You can dilute it to lessen the strength of it before you apply it.

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Repel Insect Repellent Review Use While Working In The Yard

Affiliate links and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on: 2021-07-28

The Repel insect repellant can be ordered in several different size variants and is basically formulated to create a solid barrier against chiggers, fleas, and ticks. It contains 98.11% DEET, which makes it highly effective to get rid of large chigger habitats.

When sprayed, the Repel repellants stays active for up to 10 hours, and is easy to use with its pump spray mechanism.

Other ways to get rid of chigger in your lawn include:

  • Mowing your lawn regularly, and keep the grass short, especially around edges and woody areas.
  • Removing accumulated leaf litter, and keeping landscape beds weeded.
  • Maintaining your landscape plants with regular pruning to prevent overgrowth
  • Getting rid of brush piles from your property
  • Reduce or eliminate shady areas in your lawn

How To Get Rid Of Chigger Bugs

How to Get Rid of Chiggers

So, you have a chigger problem. And you need to get rid of chigger bugs ASAP.

Well, youve come to the right place.

This comprehensive DIY pest control guide will cover everything from treating chigger bites to chigger control to repelling, killing, and preventing chiggers in your home and garden.

Sound good? Lets get rid of your chigger problem.

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How To Prevent Chiggers From Entering Your Home

As they say, Prevention is better than cure. Getting bitten by chiggers or having them invade your home is something you should try as much as possible to avoid.

Here are some pointers to help you prevent chiggers from entering your home.

  • When going to an environment you believe is full of chiggers, wear long sleeves, long pants, and long socks. Be sure to tuck your pants into your stocking. When you get home, quickly wash the clothes with hot water.
  • Spray your clothing with insect repellant or insecticide like DEET.
  • When hiking or walking, always choose clear paths. If chiggers dont attach themselves to you outside, they cant get inside.
  • If you are outside, and it happens to be sunny, avoid going to shaded areas. You arent the only one that hates the sun. Most times, chiggers hide in these shady areas to avoid the sun as well. One wrong move and you get infested with dozens of chiggers you can drag back home.
  • Sometimes, the weather outside is hot and you have no choice but to expose yourself. If you fall into this category, be sure to rub areas like your socks, waist, and sleeves every 30 minutes to try and brush them away. When you get home, take a hot shower and scrub vigorously to ensure no mites are on you.
  • From time to time, you can spray a mixture of water and an essential oil around the house the smell should repel chiggers.

Be sure to mow your lawn and pull out any weeds. As you know, chiggers love thick and tall grass, so its best you get rid of any.

How Long Do Chigger Bites Last

Chigger bites will last about 2-3 weeks. The bite will heal by itself. And you should avoid scratching it to prevent infection.

Use a variety of home DIY solutions for chigger bite relief, or use commercial products to reduce swelling and itch.

Avoid itching at all costs. The chigger will leave your skin when it exists the larval phase of its life cycle.

Scratching wont remove the chigger- itll only allow other bacteria into your skin and wounds.

This could just make it even more itchy, so avoid doing so to your best efforts. You can try a few different remedies at home to get relief.

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What Do Chigger Bites Look Like

Chigger bites are very distinct and easy to spot. They often swell over with a light pink 2-3 days after the actual bite. And theyre also concentrated in specific areas.

Here are some common signs and symptoms of chigger bites:

  • Noticeable itchiness thats almost like a sting during your time in grassy areas
  • Bites that have a darkened red or pink hole in your skin
  • Bites that appear around your delicate skin areas, like armpits, behind kneecaps, ankles, groin, waist, legs, and feet
  • An itch thats pretty bad and eventually crust over with a scab
  • Red bumps that have small blisters
  • Small clusters of bumps as time goes on that almost look like spreading bites

Best Inside Spray For Chiggers ^

Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Chigger Bites

For small amounts of activity in the home, FS MP AEROSOL is well suited for reaching them where they might be entering. It features a deep penetrating chemical structure which reaches hard to access spaces chiggers like to use for nesting. Each can comes with a straw injecting tube use it to treat around windows, baseboards and any crack you can find where you see them active.

For large areas, spray BITHOR using a good PUMP SRAYER to treat carpeting, crawlspaces and other areas they might target. Typically when they get inside, theyll be focused in one room or one area so the aerosol can be enough. But if theyre all over youll need to be more thorough focusing more on surfaces out in the open.

Bithor is labeled for all sensitive areas like carpeting, furniture and even bedding. It will kill them quickly but like Maxxthor EC, youll need to use it once every two weeks for the first month to ensure you kill all activity.

Add 1 oz of Bithor to a gallon of water and use the mixture over no more than 1,000 sq/ft of surface area. Bithor is odorless and safe enough to be sprayed on carpeting, couches and even mattresses where chiggers might be nesting.

Use a good PUMP SPRAYER to apply the Bithor. Set the nozzle on a full swath setting when spraying carpets to ensure it covers a wide 3-4 foot band.

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What Are Chigger Bites

Chigger Bites generally take 1-3 days to appear after the Chigger drops off. Once they appear, they generally swell and become inflamed quickly. The combination of torn skin, the Chigger enzyme, and the bodys allergic reaction can cause severe itching.

Generally, multiple Chiggers jump onto a host simultaneously, and those Chiggers can often bite in multiple locations. The result is often many different bites, all close together. In severe cases, it can be hundreds of bites in multiple locations.

Chigger bites are well known for being some of the most uncomfortable and painful insect bites you can get. Bites can last for up to 2 weeks as well.

For help identifying Chigger Bites, see our guide.

Youll find lots of Chigger and Chigger Bite Photos on our .

What Do Chiggers Look Like

Chiggers are miniscule pests, so small that they are almost impossible to see with the naked eye. Theyre colored in warm tones of red, orange, and yellow, and when seen up close they look like a cross between a tiny spider and a tiny crab. Theyre covered in long surface hairs, and have an oval shaped body similar to ticks, a close relative of their species. Adult chiggers have eight legs, while larval chiggers have only three. As a note, red-colored chiggers can easily be mistaken for clover mites, which are similar small, red creatures.

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Spectracide Triazicide Insect Killer Granules Review Best Granule

Affiliate links and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on: 2021-07-28

These granules kill more than 100 types of yard insects including chiggers. And kills on contact, so youll start to see results as soon as you put it down. The good thing about this killer is that it will take care of lawn grubs as well if you have those nasties.

Make Use Of Diatomaceous Earth

Pest Control : How to Get Rid of Chiggers

Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring soft sedimentary rock, rich in silica, thats crashed into a fine white powder. It is quite effective in repelling and killing chiggers and is now being commonly used for this purpose. In addition, it can also be used to repel other tiny pests like June bugs, cigarette beetles, and even stink bugs.

When using DE, sprinkle it around your yard, drawing some sort of barrier to stop chiggers from actually invading your space. This not only helps in keeping away chiggers but other annoying pests as well.

Youll also need to sprinkle DE on shaded areas, dense vegetation, moisturized areas, and tall plants on your lawn. These are all top habitats for chiggers and sprinkling the DE will naturally repel them.

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Use Diy Chigger Repellant Sprays

You could make your chigger repellant spray right at the comfort of your home. Do this by adding one gallon of clean water, a quarter cup of dishwasher detergent, and two tablespoons of canola oil to a yard sprayer. Thoroughly mix up these ingredients and spray this mixture into your yard.

Remember to keep pets and children away from the sprayed yard for one to two days.

Yard Maintenance Can Keep Them Out Of Your Property

Keep your lawn mowed short, especially if it borders wilder areas like woods or a stream to keep the chiggers out.

Pull weeds regularly, and rake up leaves and brush routinely. Keep plants trimmed to prevent overgrowth.

If you can reduce shady areas in your yard, the bright sunlight will discourage chiggers, too.

Pesticides can be used, but should be done with caution.

Follow instructions, only apply to confirmed chigger infested locations, and keep all pets and children off of the yard and away from the affected area for as long as the pesticides remain active there.

You can also call a professional exterminator to take care of a confirmed chigger infestation for you.

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How Long Does It Take To Get Rid Of Chiggers

When it comes to Chiggers, before knowing what kills red bugs, you should know that prevention is key. Once Chiggers have bitten you, youll never want to be bitten again.

Fortunately, learning how to prevent Chiggers is pretty easy. Before going outside and into a potentially Chigger infested area, do the following:

  • Coat your skin using a Chigger Repellant designed for skin use. Our product of choice is ChiggAway.
  • Prevent Chiggers from gaining access to your skin by always wearing gloves, long sleeves, long pants, and boots. Tuck your pants into your boots, or even better, duct tape your pants to your boots.
  • Coat your clothing with a clothing-based Chigger repellent, like Sawyer Clothing Repellent.

When you return indoors, immediately remove all clothing, wash it with soap in the washer, and immediately take a hot shower with soap to kill any Chiggers that might have gotten on your skin.

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