Answers to Go with Susan Smith
Q. I hate chiggers! Is there anything that makes their bites itch less?
A. Let’s start with “A Field Guide to Texas Critters: Common Household and Garden Pests,” by Bill Zak.
He writes, “Most persons cannot see chiggers without a magnifying glass, so the bites may be the only indication the bugs have infested a given area.
“After exposure to chigger-infested areas, take a hot soapy bath to kill and remove larvae; then apply an antiseptic solution to any welts that might appear.
“Destroying the chigger normally does not stop the itching, but it will usually cease after two to three days. Temporary relief can be obtained by applying a mild local anesthetic.
“Mosquito repellents are usually effective against chiggers. Common dusting sulfur, although somewhat messy and smelly, is also a fairly effective repellent.”
“The Texas Bug Book: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” by Malcolm Beck and John Garrett offers more details: “Larvae hatch in the spring and are parasites on humans and animals. The larvae inject a digestive juice that dissolves skin cells so they can be more easily eaten. Their numbers are the highest in mid-summer. The adult chiggers feed on insects.
“Chiggers inhabit grasslands and weedy unirrigated areas. To control chiggers naturally, increase soil moisture. Sulfur dust is a good organic repellent. So is lemonmint, also called horsemint. Stop the itching with baking soda, vinegar, aloe vera or comfrey juice.
“If you have to walk through property that’s dry and weedy and it’s summertime, take a few precautions. First, don’t wear shorts. Second, dust your shoes, pant legs, and socks with powdered sulfur. It’s available at any nursery or feed store. Rubbing the crushed flowers of lemonmint on your clothing will also repel chiggers.
“Chiggers can be controlled with a broadcast application of a diatomaceous earth/pyrethrum product or an application of granular or dusting sulfur at 5 pounds per 1,000 square feet. If you have alkaline soil, the sulfur is also a good soil amendment. If your property is watered occasionally, chiggers won’t be a problem.”
Beck and Garrett put in a good word for imported fire ants. They report that fire ants eliminate chiggers.
Let’s go to MedlinePlus.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine online resource, for additional information: “The goal of treatment is to stop the itching. Antihistamines and corticosteroid creams or lotions may be helpful. Antibiotics are not necessary unless you also have another skin infection.
Benadryl, Zyrtec and Allegra are brands of oral antihistamines. Benadryl is also available as a topical ointment. Your pharmacy’s staff can direct you to overthe-counter corticosteroid creams.
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