Chiggers

What are chiggers? Chiggers are the larvae of harvest mites. These mites, like many other arachnids, begin their lives as eggs, hatch as larvae, then they develop into nymphs and finally grow up into adults. While adults and nymphs base their diet on plants, but just as many of their cousins, they are parasitic while in the larval stage.

Chiggers are commonly found on tall vegetation, and when an animal or human being passes by and disturbs the grass the parasitic chiggers attach to the individual, as he or she is a very good source of protein, which is needed by a chigger to become a harvest mite nymph.

How Do Chiggers Bite?

Chiggers are too small to be seen without a magnifying glass, and for this reason many people mistakenly believe that they live as parasites under the skin. In fact, chiggers obtain the amount of protein they need not from blood, as many people believe, but in fact from skin cells.

In order to disrupt and break the hard skin cells and get access to the inner cellular fluids, chiggers find a place on a pore or follicle of hair and attach to it. Then, they proceed to inject into the skin a certain enzyme that breaks the cells and liquifies them. This same enzyme also makes the surrounding tissue harder. This process results on the irritation of the skin and the formation of an itchy red bump that causes much discomfort for many days.

Symptoms Of Chigger Bites

The most distinctive symptom of a chigger bite is the red bump that surrounds and contains the site of the bite. This irritated bump produces a profuse itching that is very uncomfortable and may lead to further skin injury by scratching, with the risk of infection.

Treatment Of Chigger Bites

The main cause for the red sore’s intense itch is the contact of the disrupted skin cells with air. Therefore, isolating the lesion from air is the best way to reduce itch at a minimum.
Although the most popular (and very effective) way of achieving this is applying nail polish on the chigger bites, the results are better when an antihistaminic cream such as Caladryl is used. It accomplishes the task of separating the injured skin from air, and also prevents infections. Also, have in mind that if the itching and irritation persist after a couple of weeks, you may have an infection and a visit to your doctor is highly recommended.

Prevention Of Chigger Bites

As chiggers prefer damp or moist areas with a large presence of vegetation, the best way to prevent chigger bites is to avoid exposure to such environments. If you absolutely need to go into the woods or other similar chigger-infested areas, use loose clothes, as chiggers like to get under tight clothing. You can use any arachnid repellents on your clothes, especially your pants and shoes. Additionally, it is a good idea to take a shower and wash the clothes you used right after you came back from your outdoor activities.

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