Son of an itch! It’s chigger season

Harvest mites, better known as chiggers or red bugs, are a microscopic menace that leave quite an impression: puffy, red bumps with a ferocious itch. Chigger season runs from late spring to early fall, and any other time conditions are “right.” Due to the Highland Lakes’ mild weather, it’s almost always chigger season.

Unlike its close relative the tick, chiggers in the biting stage are barely visible to the naked eye. Most folks don’t realize this parasitic visitor has been on board and intimately acquainted with them until all but the lasting itch are gone.

Mite life

A chigger has four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Under favorable conditions, the harvest mite can go from egg to adult in two months and have four generations in a year. Chiggers prefer warm, moist areas with weeds or brush and lay their eggs, typically in the spring, among leaf litter. The mites are most active when temperatures range from the mid-70s to the mid-80s. They become inactive when it dips below 60 degrees. The larva will die at 42 degrees and lower.

The terrible 2s

Only in its second life stage does the tiny mite, which is less than 1/150 of an inch, become a parasite in search of mammals for food. As a larva, the chigger has six legs, is yellow-orange-red in color, and is covered in bristly hair. An adult chigger has eight legs, is bright red, and measures 1/20 of an inch.

Chigger larvae lie in wait atop tall grass, weeds, or brush for an opportunity to hop on anything with skin. Unsuspecting outdoor explorers and passing animals become fuel for the chigger larva to enter its next life stage as a nymph, when it will no longer be a pest.

Not so fast food

Once on the body, the chigger roams in search of a spot for its meal, which is more like a lengthy sit-down dinner than fast food. Contrary to popular belief, chiggers do not imbed in the skin but remain on the surface to feed. The chigger pierces the skin with its mouth parts and injects digestive enzymes to liquify skin cells. Unlike ticks, chiggers feed only on skin cells, not on blood. This action is repeated over and over, creating a firm, straw-like feeding tube called a stylostome. This “drinking straw” may be visible as a tiny red dot at the center of the bite. Surprisingly, the chigger will feed on its host for a few days before going on its way.

Here comes the itch

The body might not react to a chigger bite for hours or days after initial contact. The swelling, redness, and intense itch that follow bites are the body’s normal allergic reaction, or immune response, to the chigger’s digestive enzymes. Chigger bites are not known to transmit diseases or viruses; however, if vigorously scratched, the area will bleed and could be open to secondary infection.

Have you noticed that when you scratch an itchy bug bite it seems to become itchier? It’s not your imagination. Scratching a bite creates more inflammation, causing the immune system to release more histamine, which causes more itching. As hard as it might be, lay off of the scratching.

Tips to avoid and ease chigger bites

Chiggers are one pest you will not see coming, and their itchy calling card can linger for a couple of weeks. But don’t let them keep you from enjoying an outdoor life. Follow these proven tips for avoiding chiggers in the first place and treating the itch if they get to you.

NOTE: Applying nail polish to a chigger bite is not effective. By the time you feel the itch, the larva is no longer present.

Chigger avoidance tips

Wear long pants and sleeves.
Tuck long pants into boots or socks.
Use insect repellents or deterrents.
Pre-treat clothing with a Permethrin-based solution before wearing.
Shower and don clean clothes after you have been in an area where chiggers might be present.