What are Chiggers? How to Get Rid of it in Your House, Lawn and Body

Chigger’s bites are not very dangerous, but it causes itching, swelling, and even painful. The primary concern is itching, or scratching can irritate, but some time can be frustrating. Stay with me if you are looking for how to get rid of chiggers.

What are Chiggers?

Chiggers are small in size having red, orange, yellow, or straw-colored. They are common across over the world. They almost found in moist, grassy areas, and even in your home. You can also see them near lakes and streams. They are not more than 0.3 millimeters long.

Little chiggers called larvae; they can bite, but adult chiggers can’t bite you. Chiggers bite itches and swelled you. It usually takes a week to heal. But if it lasts longer, then I suggest you visit a doctor.

What to expect from a Chigger bite?

A chigger crawl on the skin to find a patch skin. They have jaw-like claws to makes a hole. When they bite, the infected area becomes red, and around the hole, skin gets harden, forming a feeding tube which is known as stylostome. It causes itching, swelling, and trouble peeping. These will last longer for a couple of days. After a week, chigger bites get better on their own. In case, if itching remains more than a week, then you should go to visit a doctor.

How to get rid of Chiggers in Your House   

There are some easy and straightforward methods about how to get rid of chiggers in your home. I hope you will love to apply these methods. Stay with me!

1. Clean Your House with Hottest Water

If you notice chiggers are active in your house, then you must do the house cleaning with hot water. It will clean all germs and infections from the house. You should try to clean your house with hot water and soap by rinsing and scrubbing. Hot water helps you to be spotless every germs and infection. You should clean every corner carefully using soap with hot water to get rid of chiggers. Make sure water is hot enough, it’s not only lukewarm.

2. Bathe Pets Regularly in Warm Water with Flea and Tick Shampoo

If you have any pets and they move towards chiggers, then you do first bathe your pet. Bathe your pet with soap and warm water. You should rub the soap on the pet’s body to prevent any germ or infection. Make your pets stay away from chigger’s location.

3. Vacuum Your Home Regularly

Vacuum your home daily is also the best method to get rid of chiggers. Chiggers are usually active in warm summer and spring. During summer and spring days, your house regularly, especially the areas where you think the chances of these tiny creature presences. You should take note under sofas, behinds curtains, under beds. You should clean these places and vacuum once in a day. Moreover, you should also shampoo your carpets with liquid soap, once in summer and spring.

Also Read: How to Get Rid of Chipmunks Naturally in Your Property

How to Get Rid of Chiggers from Your Lawn/Yard

Chiggers are usually attractive to grassy areas. If there is chigger’s infestation in lawn/yard then you should try the following methods to keep the chiggers away:

1. Mow your Grass Regularly

Chiggers are likely to live in grassy areas. If you have tall grass in your lawn, then you should keep pulling the weed and cut the grass. By keeping the grass short, you will see the effective results. By keeping the short grass help, you to get rid of other insects. The sun lighted and airy area is not good for chiggers to live.

You should purine the plants, trees once in a week. It will lessen the moist in the lawn. You should do this method before starting the summer or spring season. When the weather warms up, you will notice there is no chigger left over.

Another concern is you have to put a fence around the lawn/yard to keep your pets away from the lawn.

2. Spread Diatomaceous Earth Over Your Lawn

If you are looking natural method to keep away chiggers from your lawn, then you take help from diatomaceous earth. This method is one of the best to get rid of chiggers in your lawn. Diatomaceous powder available in markets. You have to sprinkle the powder in the areas of your lawn. As a weed, grass places are favorite places for chiggers; you should sprinkle powder there too. It can’t damage your lawn but useful to keep away chiggers.

3. Avoid Chiggers Hosts from Entering Your Yard

Chiggers are used insects as hosts. If you treat insects first, then chiggers will automatically leave your lawn. To discourage insects and other amphibians from entering your yard, you should try to dispose of all the water sources near the yard. Because water attracts amphibians and other insects. Keep your lawn clean and moist free. Air and sunlight are the best atmospheres to get rid of all reptiles.

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How to Get Rid of Chiggers on Your Body?

Well, if chigger’s infestation infects you, then it is not a severe issue. You can cure this infection on your own. But if infections remain by doing given methods, then you should visit a doctor. Here are some natural methods to get rid of chiggers from your body:

1. Avoid Stepping into The Grass

If you are getting infected from chigger’s bites, then you should avoid moving in areas where the tall grass. Chiggers are likely to live in the grass so nobody can catch them. You should stay away from the tall grass. If you stepped into the grass then you should take a bath with hot water.

Chiggers are feeling protected to hide in shady areas, and tall grass is the best-protected place for them. If you avoid moving these areas, you will surely avoid any chiggers around you.

2. Keep Your Skin Cover

Cover your skin by wearing long sleeves or long pants in such a situation when you are getting infected by chiggers or can be infected by chiggers. After the cover, your skin avoids touching long grass.

As chiggers are small in size and thin body. They can quickly get into small gaps. If you wear tight dresses, then you are giving a tough time to chiggers to get into.

3. Close Off All the Openings in Your Clothes

As chiggers are tiny and get into small gaps by crawling. To avoid getting into your clothes, you should seal off all the opening towards your skins. You can also seal your opening by wearing rubber bands. If possible, then wear zipping cloth rather than buttons.

4. Sprinkling Sulfur Powder in Your Socks and Shoes

Sulfur powder is enemy for chiggers, having a strong tendency to drive the chigger far away from your body. You have to sprinkle the sulfur powder into your shoes and socks as well. Take a little amount and sprinkle, and you will see the practical results that no chigger will dare towards you. If you want to sprinkle the sulfur powder on your shirt, then it is best to protect yourself more.

5. Brush Exposed Skin Every 30 Minutes While Outside

Chiggers crawl on your skin for biting. If you see any chigger hanging on your skin the brush your skin for about 30 minutes to get rid of them.

6. Avoid Sitting or Lying on The Ground

You hear that prevention is better than treatment. So, it is up to you to protect yourself by avoiding sitting or lying on the ground. It is the possibility that chiggers are over there and they might expose your clear skin and bite you. So, avoid sitting on taller grass.

7. Chemical Repellent and Insecticides

• Use of repellent containing diethyltoluamide (DEET)

It is the best method to get rid of chiggers and other insects. It is very useful to use against chiggers and to kill the bugs and insects too. What should you do?

You should apply this on your clear skin such as you can apply on your hands, arms, and feet. It can last for four hours.

You should not apply this on sensitive areas such as eyes and mouth. Likewise, you should not apply this directly to your skin; it can react. Follow the instructions that are given on it before applying.

8. Try Permethrin Treatment of Your Cloth

If you are looking for the best repellent, then you go for it. Permethrin is super powerful repellent against chiggers and also other insects.  It will last longer up to two weeks if you wash your clothes once a week, then it remains on your clothes.

How to use Permethrin? I suggest you use this repellent at least one day before wearing cloth. Avoid applying this repellent directly on to your body. It can damage your skin. You should use it on cloth and let it dry, for better results you can use on both sides of your cloth.

9. Call A Professional Pest Control Operator

If you try all methods and still you have difficulties in disposing of chiggers, then it’s time to make a call to a pest control professional. The pest controller has strong repellents that are not available in the market due to safety concerns. They will help you, and you will see the results in a day. However, even this treatment you should look after the infected areas regularly so to get rid of chiggers permanently.

10. Use Natural Spray

As natural remedies are helpful as they are without harsh chemicals. Many essential oils are available on markets as natural repellents that work well on chiggers. You can use oils such as tea tree oil, citronella oil, lemongrass oil, and geranium oil. You can try them by spraying on infected areas. As made with natural ingredients, they are very useful and can’t damage your skin as the harsh chemical can.

Can chiggers infest at home?

As I told you above, chiggers lay larvae, and adult chiggers don’t. They don’t infest your home like other pests.

Verdicts

I have summarized this article by saying these methods mentioned above is enough for you to get rid of chiggers. Hope so; you will have detailed enough about keeping off chiggers from your home and lawns. I also suggested some best repellent; you can use them according to your preference. If you have any complication, then comment below. We will sort it out. Thanks for visiting us!