These pests are not insects; they are mites. A chigger is too tiny to see with the naked eye, but a group of them can be visible when they congregate on ankles, waists or other body area. These areas are preferred by the chigger because our skin is thinner and makes it easier for this microscopic pest to penetrate our skin for its meal. When grouped together in large numbers they appear red in color. This is their natural color, not caused by blood feeding!

For treatment of chigger bites, keep the affected area clean by washing with soap and water. Use a topical hydrocortisone cream, antihistamine, or local anesthetic to reduce the itching. The wounds should not be scratched, if possible. If signs of infection occur, consult your physician.

Chiggers do not bore into, and live inside of the skin. Applying finger nail polish or other household chemicals to red bumps on the skin will not help. Chiggers will not burrow deep inside the body and eventually die. By the time the severe itching starts, the chigger is nowhere to be found. Trying to smother a chigger with various products, is a waste of time and might actually cause more problems. Chiggers drink liquefied skin cells. (Ticks feed on blood; chiggers do not).

Once you have established which outdoor areas the chiggers have infested, you can treat lawns, fence rows and ornamentals with insecticide, which are normally the area of origin of infestation.