Chiggers appear as tiny bugs, but their bite packs such a huge punch that it can leave you scratching your body. Chiggers are mites called harvest lice, red bugs, or harvest mites. They are commonly found in forests or grasslands around the world. Chigger bites are not harmful but can leave an uncomfortable rash that causes itching. Therefore, learning how to get rid of chiggers in your yard and home is essential.
Signs and Symptoms of Chiggers
Before we can learn the preventive measures, we must know the signs and symptoms of having chiggers in your house. Here are a few signs you will notice if there are chiggers.
Severe itch on your body without any visible cause.
Red spots with speckled lines or pimples on the skin.
Bites in areas in which your clothing is tightly attached to your body
How Can Chiggers Bite You?
Understanding how chiggers can bite you is essential because it will allow you to avoid all areas where chiggers can survive. Some of the common areas where you can easily find chiggers are.
Wooded areas.
Overgrown grass in fields
Yards and gardens
Areas near water and moist soil
High-humidity areas have 80% humidity.
Chiggers can easily attach to your clothes and crawl on your skin where they bite.
How to Get Rid of Chiggers In Your Yard
If you have a yard or garden, chiggers can easily infest your property. Here are some ways to help you learn how to get rid of chiggers in your yard.
1- Pull weeds and mow the grass regularly
The best way to get rid of chiggers is to remove their habitat from your yard. Pull out all the weeds from your yard because chiggers commonly grow in the weed. Moreover, you should regularly mow your lawn to prevent all types of chiggers and mites from your garden. Keeping your lawn clear and well-maintained will lower the chances of developing chiggers.
2- Remove any trash or dustbins near your yard
The main area where chigger infestation can be commonly found in trash and garbage. Like various other insects’ chiggers prefer to habitat the areas with the following features.
Dark
Damp
Moist
Chiggers quietly wait for their prey in the trash cans. While residing on newspapers, plastic bags, or wrappers, they can easily get blown into your yard and cause havoc. Therefore, it is advised to remove all trash cans from your yard and remove any garbage near your yard. You should regularly empty the dustbins in the yard as well.
3- Spray eco-friendly and organic pesticides in the yard
There are various types of organic and eco-friendly pesticides that you can use to kill chiggers in your yard.
Spray the pesticides around the perimeter of your yard.
Apply pesticides on hotspots where chiggers can easily develop.
Water the area you have treated with pesticides to release the chemicals into your yard and effectively kill any chiggers.
Carefully read the ingredients of the pesticides before selection to ensure that you pick an organic item that will not damage the good insects and bacteria in your yard.
4- If there are any host animals, do not let them enter your house
The common hosts of chiggers can be living in your yard without your knowledge which means they can easily enter your house. The hosts of chiggers you should be aware of are.
Chipmunks
Squirrels
Mice
Small mammals
If any of these hosts are found in the yard, you need to find ways to minimize their entrance into the garden so they will not enter your home. Some simple techniques to use are building a fence around your yard, keeping bird feeders outside the yard, removing any water features or ponds, and covering trash cans can help lower the chances of these animals occupying your yard.
5- Take a bath and wash your clothes during chigger season
If you go outside near an area where chiggers are easily found during the chigger season, remove your clothes and wash them with hot water and soap before chiggers can spread inside. You should also take a bath with soap and warm water to remove any chiggers attached to your body.
6- Welcome frost season with happiness
As soon as you notice the first signs of frost, you should celebrate because chiggers cannot survive this season. So even if there are chiggers in your yard, they will not be able to survive any longer, and you will be protected from their bites for a few months.
How to Get Rid of Chiggers In Your House
The good news is chiggers cannot survive indoors for a long time because they require their host to live. However, if you have a yard, they can easily come inside by attaching to pets or clothes. Chiggers can enter your furniture or carpet once they enter your house. If you notice any signs and symptoms of chiggers inside your house, here are a few tips to help you eliminate red bugs.
Vacuum your furniture, rugs, and carpet properly to remove any surviving chiggers from your house.
Use all-purpose spray or disinfectants to clean your house’s hard surfaces.
Wash all your bedding, clothes, and curtains with hot water and soap to remove any chiggers.
Wash your pets properly and get them checked to ensure that no chiggers are living on their body.
Fumigation is a good option, but it is not necessary with chiggers because within a few days indoors, they will diet on their own.
How to Get Rid of Chiggers In Your Yard and Home Final Remarks
Chiggers will easily bite humans if given any chance, but humans are not good hosts for them. They cannot survive on human bodies for more than 2 days because of excessive scratching once they bite.
However, it is necessary to take all preventive measures to stop the growth of chiggers in your yard and home so you will not have to deal with rash, itching, and other skin problems caused by chigger bites.
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