Chigger bites are irritating. They cause itching, redness, and even a rash if you do not treat them properly. Therefore, learning how to avoid chigger bites is your only solution. If you live in an area where chiggers are commonly found, you must take all precautionary measures to protect yourself.
Here we have everything you should know about chigger bites and how to avoid them.
What Happens When a Chigger Bites a Human?
If you visit an area with chiggers’ infestation, they can easily latch on your clothes and crawl to find a patch of your skin. Using their jaw-like sharp claws, chiggers will make small holes in your skin where they will inject their saliva to convert your healthy cells into mush.
These mushy cells are food for chiggers. However, remember, humans are not a host for chiggers; therefore, they will not stay on your body for a long time.
Chiggers can bite on any part of your skin. However, their bites are commonly found on the lower legs or waist. At first, you will not notice anything, but the bite area will start itching within a few hours. The itching can be so severe that it keeps you awake at night and lasts several days. Some other signs you will notice on your skin are.
Rash like a hive.
Redness and inflammation
Blisters
Bumps
Continuous scratching can break your skin, which will irritate you. It means there will be an open wound for infection.
Differences Between Chigger Bites, Flea Bites, Bed Bug bites, and Mosquito Bites
Bed bugs, fleas, chiggers, and mosquitoes are common insects found in our homes or yard and commonly bite humans. Therefore, understanding their bites’ differences will prevent you from getting the wrong treatment. Here are a few differences you need to know.
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Chigger bites
Flea bites
If you get bitten by a flea, there will be a zig-zag pattern on your skin in the area of the waist or legs. Signs of flea bites are tiny red dots that are sore and itchy.
Bed bug bites
Bed bugs can bite you on any area of your skin that comes in contact with the mattress. You will notice a series of bumps. There will be a painful or burning sensation around the area that will cause itchiness.
Mosquito bites
Mosquitoes will leave an itchy red bump by piercing your skin. If you are not using mosquito repellent, they will bite you on exposed skin.
Tips on How to Avoid Chiggers
Chigger bites are common when you spend time outdoors in grassy areas. However, simple tips can be followed to avoid getting bitten by these bugs. Here is how to avoid chiggers from biting you.
1- Properly cover your body while going outside
During warm weather, it gets hard to cover your body. However, wear a long sleeve shirt and long pants while going outside for protection. Not exposing your skin will make it easier to avoid chiggers.
While going in grassy areas, wear high boots with socks in which you can tuck your pants. It will close any way chiggers can crawl onto your skin. It may be tough initially, but spending time in the yard or grassy area is the only way to protect yourself.
2- Pay attention to temperature and humidity
Paying attention to the temperature and level of humidity can tell you a lot of chiggers. The red bugs cannot survive in extremely warm or cold weather. Moreover, if dampness or humidity is outside, you should know that chiggers will thrive.
So if you live in an area with humid weather conditions, you should take other precautionary measures while leaving your house to avoid chigger bites.
3- Apply insect repellent on your body
Using an insect repellant is the best way to repel chiggers. You can use any mosquito repellent because it works perfectly for chiggers as well.
Apply insect repellent on your skin and clothes, especially your shoes, cuffs, shirt neck, and waistband.
Prefer using insect repellent that has DEET as an active ingredient. It has the best results for repelling insects from biting you.
4- Take a bath with hot water and soap
Always bathe with hot water and soap to ensure that chiggers will not remain attached to your body. No doubt, chiggers cannot survive on humans, but still, you have to remove them to ensure that you will not get bitten and have to deal with all the symptoms that come with it.
Treatment for Chigger Bites
You can treat it with simple medication or other home remedies if you ever get bitten by chiggers. Here are a few tips that will use help you out.
Use over-the-counter medications for itching, like calamine lotion or hydrocortisone. It will reduce inflammation and itching so that you will feel calm.
If you do not have access to the medication, you should apply ice on the area of the bite to relieve itching. It will also reduce redness in the area.
Cut your nails and avoid scathing so your skin will not break, and bites will heal quickly.
Chigger bites commonly heal within a few days, but if the rash persists, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible and get the bitten area treated. You may have to get anti-allergy medication from your doctor if the itching does not stop. Make sure to consult a specialist so you can get proper treatment for the bites if the issue is not resolving.
How to Avoid Chiggers Final Thoughts
Chiggers do not transmit diseases, so you only have to avoid getting bitten if you do not want any rash or blisters on your skin. Find ways to repel chiggers because that will be helpful. We hope that these tips on how to avoid chiggers will surely help you.
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