If you’re into outdoor activities like boating, biking, camping and hiking, you’re pretty much exposed also to mites, parasites, and poisonous plants. Chigger bites is one of the seasonal skin conditions during warm weathers and found in outdoor ventures.

Chigger bites are red and itchy contusion left in your skin. Chigger mites dwell in tall grasses and weeds. When your skin gets in contact with chigger habitats in the outdoors, these tiny mites use their little claws to attach to your skin. Your skin cells’ juices are what they feed on. Chiggers dwell on your skin for a couple of days and fall off. However, the bruise that they leave may last for weeks despite treatment.

Oftentimes, Chigger bites are associated with the mites’ larvae. Itchiness is intense for these bites especially in areas of your skin where the larvae may have great access. Blisters may appear in bitten areas and usually produces inside skin bleeding.

How To Recognize

Just like any other insect bites, first thing you will notice is the itching. You have to pay attention to the itchy area of your skin. You will know if it’s bitten by Chiggers because welts forming red spots will begin to form.

You will begin the itchiness from Chiggers within a few hours after the bite. As observed, it is in the torso areas that Chigger bites usually develop.

Possible Complications

Although it may take only hours to notice Chigger bites, the irritation can last up to a couple of weeks. Furthermore, there is a possibility of a secondary bacterial infection out of Chigger bites. This may happen if there is chronic scratching and hygiene is not applied in the surrounded areas of the skin.

Fortunately, Chigger bites do not spread any kind of disease in North America. However in Asia and the Pacific, Chiggers can transport a disease such as scrub typhus. If you are active in outdoor activities, consult an insect and spider expert guide to know what type of chiggers live in your area.

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Treatment

A more common remedy for Chigger bites is nail polish. The nail polish encloses the area to prevent air from entering, which prevents further itching of the sore. It is applied basically to suffocate and eventually kill the Chigger. Applying lotion is also one way of relieving the itch. Make sure that the cream or salve contains antihistamines. Lotions have also similar effects of preventing the infection by sealing the bite.

Other treatments may have varying degrees of effect. Anti-lice shampoo may also help relieve the itching by applying it to the bruise and leaving it overnight. Petroleum jelly may act as the same principle as nail polishes do.

It has proven that the most effective solution for Chigger bites is sulphur. Chiggers avoid sulphur so it is best to apply powdered sulphur in your socks, boots, and in the opening of your pants before going outdoors. But a combination of sulphur and sweat may create an unpleasant odor. Also, for some people, sulphur may cause irritation to the skin. It is best to test a small amount first. These are only the few side effects of sulphur as an effective repellant.

Prevention

To prevent chiggers from interfering into your picnic areas or backyards, remove chigger habitats. Be sure to regularly trim and clear grass, bushes and weeds. Chiggers can hardly survive on clear areas and where small areas for host may not anymore visit.

Soap and warm water is a good treatment against chiggers after exposure to outdoors. This practice is adequate enough to kill chiggers. As opposed to old practice, it is dangerous to apply common products like gasoline, salt, ammonia, kerosene, alcohol, or dry cleaning fluid.