DEAR DR. GOTT:
I live in Missouri. Warmer weather is my family’s favorite time of the year and with spring approaching we wonder if there is anything that can be done about chiggers. Every spring, summer and fall, we itch and find ourselves covered with unsightly rashes following outdoor activities. Is there anything you can recommend so we can continue to hike and do the things we enjoy so much?
DEAR READER:
Chiggers are not bugs, but juvenile forms of a particular family of mites (which are arachnids similar to spiders and scorpions) and are closely related to ticks.
They are very tiny and are almost impossible to see with the naked eye. When a number gather for a feed at the same location of skin, they become visible only because of their bright red color. Their meal of choice is provided by birds and reptiles but they will seek out a meal on humans once during childhood before progressing to becoming vegetarians. They do not burrow into the skin, nor do they draw blood. They do bite, however, much as ticks do. They prefer areas such as ankles, armpits, crotches, belt lines and other skin folds. Once attached, a chigger injects saliva that is rich in a powerful enzyme that dissolves the skin cells it comes in contact with. This liquefied tissue is ingested and becomes food. The process irritates and inflames surrounding skin tissue, causing the symptoms with which you are so familiar. The itch will peak a day or two following a bite.
The good news is that chiggers seldom get a chance to finish a meal that commonly takes three to four days or even longer. Humans tend to rub an area of the body that is irritated. Or, the mites can be whisked off when walking through a wooded area. Fortunately, this reduces the number of chiggers that actually bite. Chiggers prefer warmer weather and become inactive when temperatures fall below 60 degrees. Temperatures below 42 degrees will kill the species that bite.
There are several steps you can take to counteract these unpleasant critters. To begin with, keep your back yard free of brush and weeds and mow the lawn regularly. The atmosphere will not be conducive for them to take up residency.
Dress accordingly before hiking. Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, tightly woven socks and hiking boots. Tuck pant legs into the boots to discourage points of entry. (This is also helpful in avoiding tick and insect bites.)
Other preventive measures can include mosquito repellents rubbed onto exposed areas of skin, or by using sulphur that chiggers hate and take all steps to avoid. Powdered sulphur is available at most pharmacies. Because of its strong odor, some people prefer to dilute it with talcum powder. It can irritate the skin of some individuals, so a test patch might be helpful initially. Still another preventive is a new product known as Chigg Away, used by our military, that relieves the itch and discomfort of bites. Its active ingredients are precipitated sulfur and benzocaine that work together for quick relief. It can also be used for mosquitoes, fleas, no-see-ums, ticks, bees, and more. Chigg Away is available at Wal-Mart stores.
About Dr. Gott