Chiggers galore, itching away..

[WalkingInGers]

The weather earlier this week was wonderful, with temperatures way above norms even in this region of southwest France. I planned on doing a lot of yard work and spent three days enjoying the sun. After working out like that with copious sweat, I shower. On the first day, didn’t remark anything strange, on the second day, there was some itching but nothing to write home about, but the third day out, returned home to see red « dots » appearing on various parts of the body.

Because we had seen processional caterpillars earlier and so early this year, and having lived over here for more than 12 years, began to wonder if the « atouats » were not doing their thing earlier. (Atouats is the regional French name for chiggers). Indeed, chigger bites over legs, arms, actually all over the place. Interestingly, my partner who was out working with me did not have one bite.

The itching drives you nuts. In order to reduce the itching, I use hot showers. To PREVENT chigger bites, pants with white vinegar, and, of course, try to avoid walking in high grass if possible.

A good read can be found on https://www.healthline.com/health/chigger-bites about the subject.

 

[DeansFamily]

We were introduced to chiggers on the Norte, spring weather, damp long grass everywhere. Having big angry lumps come up like sandfly bites but with a white core to them and insanely itchy. On researching I came across a recommended treatment for them that gave us relief. A cotton wool ball soaked in rubbing alcohol and kept on the bite for 30 minutes with a band-aid stopped the itch immediately and dried the bite out. Apparently these bright red grass mites release an enzyme into the skin and suck out the digested cells. When the bite healed a small hole was left in the scab.
I picked up a hitchhiker on the Portuguese last May before Porto. He stood out on the white bedsheet and I waited for the bites to appear, which they did on my neck and side of face. I used alcohol wipes folded over & over and held with a band-aid which worked the same.
I wasn't walking through grass but there was folage overhead so I think he dropped onto my hat and found a feed.
We have lots of paralysis ticks where we live and I'd prefer them to chiggers any day.

 

[J Willhaus]

That makes me sad. I had hoped chiggers were limited to North America. Bummed to know I can get them in Europe, too.

 

[WalkingInGers]

That makes me sad. I had hoped chiggers were limited to North America. Bummed to know I can get them in Europe, too.

Hot showers.

 

[J Willhaus]

Hot showers.

We always used clear fingernail polish over the bites when I was a kid or witch hazel compresses.

 

[WalkingInGers]

We always used clear fingernail polish over the bites when I was a kid or witch hazel compresses.

And that stops the itching?

 

[J Willhaus]

Well that's what my Grandmother always did since we always seemed to get them when we were visiting and playing outside. She lived in the Missouri Ozarks and had lots of folk remedies for things. I think the nail polish kept us from scratching the tops off until the bites were bleeding. The witch hazel probably helped the most.

 

[Kitsambler]

And that stops the itching?

Yes. Yes, it does. I grew up in the American South in the mid-60's, so there was lots of "go play outside". Our chiggers liked moist joints, like the backs of knees. We used nail polish almost exclusively - clear or not. The "or not" varieties led to quite the outbreak of speckled kids.

 

[Former member 60103]

Ok quick question. Do these things bite at night or is just during the day ?
Planning my forthcoming Camino in Portugal so wondering if this needs to be added to my shortlist of "things that never caused me concern until I found out about them".
Don.

 

[TrvlDad1]

In the US South, my Mother would soak us in a bath with Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) for chiggers. Worked quickly without having to treat every bite, which actually is not just a bite, the little buggers’ larvae get into the skin.

 

[Mournes]

In France several years ago I was infected with aoûtats or chiggers.The pharmacist recommended a cream which didn't work.Next day at the same pharmacy a different pharmacist advised me to bathe twice a day using Savon de Marseille.
I found a bar of this soap in the gîte where I was volunteering.After using the soap for several days the infection disappeared.
An old fashioned remedy did the trick.

 

[Teddie]

Apparently these bright red grass mites release an enzyme into the skin and suck out the digested cells. When the bite healed a small hole was left in the scab.

Not many chiggers in Canada, as of yet, but the bite is reminiscent of a spider bite, of which search me out.

 

[J Willhaus]

Chiggers are outside bugs--not like bed bugs. They live in the grass/undergrowth and they are tiny red bugs and leave an itchy bite. I have not gotten them in Spain so I feel fortunate, but as a kid in the Missouri Ozarks I was a magnet to them. We used "off" bug spray around the feet and ankles to try to deter them, but seemed like I always had a bunch of itchy bites after a week playing outside in the Ozarks.

We don't seem to have them further north and in the high country where I live now. Of course I am rarely rolling around in the grass or running around barefoot at this age either.

 

[trecile]

which actually is not just a bite, the little buggers’ larvae get into the skin.

I'll file that under "things I wish I didn't know!"

 

[malingerer]

I'll file that under "things I wish I didn't know!"

Looks like I will need a hiking trolley just to drag the Witch Hazel,, the vinegar etc and everything else recommended Portable showers plus Portaloos might also come in handy ! I might invest in a bundle of birch twigs for the sauna in case I can get some revenge by beating the billy bejasus
out of them as well as me

Samarkand.

 

[J Willhaus]

I'll file that under "things I wish I didn't know!"

Actually the baby chiggers inject you with their saliva which liquifies your cells and then they eat the liquified cells. Eeuwww!!! The adults don't bite. It is actually scabies where the insects lay their eggs under your skin...WAYYY worse than bed bugs in my opinion. What a wonderful world of biting bugs we live in!

 

[sabrinabrady]

Well that's what my Grandmother always did since we always seemed to get them when we were visiting and playing outside. She lived in the Missouri Ozarks and had lots of folk remedies for things. I think the nail polish kept us from scratching the tops off until the bites were bleeding. The witch hazel probably helped the most.

I grew up in Arkansas and our remedy for the itching was Campho Phenique

 

[NLS]

We always used clear fingernail polish over the bites when I was a kid or witch hazel compresses.

And if you don’t have clear, any color will do lol!

 

[hikentravel1234]

Ditto for use of fingernail polish, for chiggers. Any color will do. I have not hear of Eason salt baths but would like to try it (of course bathtubs limited to more expensive accommodation).

 

[henrythedog]

Chiggers (in the UK usually ‘harvest mites’) - Trombiculidae - are fairly ubiquitous.

There are local variants - hereabouts the ‘Cartmel mite’ is endemic, and some experience severe reactions to them.

There are many folk remedies. My local GP encourages anything which makes you feel better so long as it’s accompanied by a great big dose of anti-histamine.

Anyone seeking out Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) could try an agricultural supplier, in the equine section. You’ll get a sack of it for the price of a small pack in a pharmacist. Do, however, beware of its laxative effect.

 

[J Willhaus]

Chiggers (in the UK usually ‘harvest mites’) - Trombiculidae - are fairly ubiquitous.

There are local variants - hereabouts the ‘Cartmel mite’ is endemic, and some experience severe reactions to them.

There are many folk remedies. My local GP encourages anything which makes you feel better so long as it’s accompanied by a great big dose of anti-histamine.

Anyone seeking out Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) could try an agricultural supplier, in the equine section. You’ll get a sack of it for the price of a small pack in a pharmacist. Do, however, beware of its laxative effect.

It is very cheap and comes in a carton at either the grocery store or pharmacy here in the US.

 

[henrythedog]

It is very cheap and comes in a carton at either the grocery store or pharmacy here in the US.

I just checked my understanding and here online I could (had I taken leave of my senses) buy a kilo (organic, vegan and cruelty-free - I’m not joking) for £7.99 or 25 kilos for £30.

 

[J Willhaus]

At Walmart in the US you can get an 8 pound bag for $6.64 which is 5.56 GBP.

 

[TrvlDad1]

Chiggers (in the UK usually ‘harvest mites’) - Trombiculidae - are fairly ubiquitous.

There are local variants - hereabouts the ‘Cartmel mite’ is endemic, and some experience severe reactions to them.

There are many folk remedies. My local GP encourages anything which makes you feel better so long as it’s accompanied by a great big dose of anti-histamine.

Anyone seeking out Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) could try an agricultural supplier, in the equine section. You’ll get a sack of it for the price of a small pack in a pharmacist. Do, however, beware of its laxative effect.

Yes, it will clean you out without wiping you out, and get rid of chiggers too.

 

[Jodean]

You can also use a small device called Bite Away. It uses a small amount of direct heat to stop the itching. Works great on mosquito bites & any itching bites. We have one as do the neighbors. Wonderful for summer in Germany. Haven’t tried it for chiggers or mites but their website might list that.

 

[Goyo]

My father was an “old school” kind of doctor, a GP who delivered babies at his patients’ homes, made house calls at all hours of the day and night, and always adhered to the KISS method of medical analysis. Those types, sadly, have gone the way of the rotary phone and the typewriter; you don’t see too many of them anymore. In our house we used epsom salts for body soaks exclusively; for sore muscles or simple relaxation mostly, and his patients with “‘roids”, boils or cysts were told to take a hot “sits bath” in the stuff. Worked wonders for those issues, but

“drinking Epsom salt — as some online “detox” plans tout — can cause serious side effects such as severe diarrhea, cautions Dr. Umeda. There aren’t any studies proving that taking Epsom salt orally is safe or beneficial. Taking it orally can lead to sudden and dramatic changes in bowel behavior; this, in turn, can be very dangerous and cause dehydration and discomfort.”

I, for one, don’t want my bowels going gonzo bozo on me en la meseta, know what I mean? But that’s just me.

Epsom Salt: Potential Benefits and How to Use It

Take a soak to soothe sore muscles

health.clevelandclinic.org

 

[Goyo]

You can also use a small device called Bite Away. It uses a small amount of direct heat to stop the itching. Works great on mosquito bites & any itching bites. We have one as do the neighbors. Wonderful for summer in Germany. Haven’t tried it for chiggers or mites but their website might list that.

Interesting. I will check that out. I’ve used “After Bite” for skeeter, no-se-um and minor spider bites with good results, but the “classic formula” with ammonia seems to be more effective, at least pour moi, than the new version with baking soda. It’ll widen your eyes, too, due to the ammonia, if you happen to take a whiff of the stuff.

 

[Snackyp00]

Has anyone been bitten by chiggers on a previous Camino? I’m female and worried taking a pitstop for a wee along the way might result in a chigger attack. Also, I’m wondering if it would be easy to tell the difference between chigger bites and bed bug bites…. bed bug bites appear in a straight line anywhere on the body and i think chiggers go for warmer areas like back of knees, where underwear seams meet the skin, waistband line, etc.? Similar to how a tick tries to go for the warmest parts of the body. But maybe I’m wrong about all of that.

 

[Jodean]

Link to help those itchy bites: https://www.bite-away.com/en/heat-pen-neo/

I have brought this on 2 Caminos. It is very light and not bulky.

 

[J Willhaus]

Has anyone been bitten by chiggers on a previous Camino? I’m female and worried taking a pitstop for a wee along the way might result in a chigger attack. Also, I’m wondering if it would be easy to tell the difference between chigger bites and bed bug bites…. bed bug bites appear in a straight line anywhere on the body and i think chiggers go for warmer areas like back of knees, where underwear seams meet the skin, waistband line, etc.? Similar to how a tick tries to go for the warmest parts of the body. But maybe I’m wrong about all of that.

You get chiggers and ticks outside, not inside. If you get chiggers going to the bathroom, I think they will be more concentrated around your legs. Hopefully you do not brush the weeds or grass with your bare bottom.

 

[malingerer]

You get chiggers and ticks outside, not inside. If you get chiggers going to the bathroom, I think they will be more concentrated around your legs. Hopefully you do not brush the weeds or grass with your bare bottom.

unless taken short on the Meseta ?

Samarkand

 

[WalkingInGers]

Has anyone been bitten by chiggers on a previous Camino? I’m female and worried taking a pitstop for a wee along the way might result in a chigger attack. Also, I’m wondering if it would be easy to tell the difference between chigger bites and bed bug bites…. bed bug bites appear in a straight line anywhere on the body and i think chiggers go for warmer areas like back of knees, where underwear seams meet the skin, waistband line, etc.? Similar to how a tick tries to go for the warmest parts of the body. But maybe I’m wrong about all of that.

Just try to avoid high uncut grass and you should be okay.

 

[OldHumblePilgrim]

I grew up in Arkansas and our remedy for the itching was Campho Phenique

same remedy as kid in Fort Worth Texas

 

[Lencho]

Chiggers can really ruin you day -- or weeks! In my youth I was once bitten on my private parts by a chigger. It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences I ever had in my life. Be very mindful of passing through grasses and under trees. Take whatever precautions you are comfortable with because one tiny chigger can really make you miserable.

 

[dougfitz]

Just try to avoid high uncut grass and you should be okay.

@FireDragon, other than your garden, do you know of any places on the Camino routes where this has been a problem? Perhaps going off track to urinate or defecate might be an issue, but I never choose a spot where the bush is brushing my buttocks. Even walking in early spring, I don't recall anywhere on the several camino routes that I have walked were one needed to wade through high, uncut, grass.

 

[WalkingInGers]

@dougfitz
I can’t tell you because I have never done a camino but live in southwest France and have lived in Spain.

 

[JacTx]

The only thing that works for me is ChigaRid.

 

[Lurch]

Ah! The ubiquitous “red bug”, as found throughot the U.S. Out west they loiter in the creosote and hitch a ride home. All the remedies are trying to do is kill the little critter, usually by suffocating it.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

We always used clear fingernail polish over the bites when I was a kid or witch hazel compresses.

I would get chigger bites when foraging for raspberries near home. I also had read that using clear nail polish would "suffocate" the chiggers that supposedly dig into the skin and stay. I always discovered the welts under the waist band of my undies; about five bites.
Anyway, I used the nail polish a number of times, but it never helped, and they still itched like crazy, and stayed red and puffy for a couple of weeks.
Years later I learned that using nail polish is an old wives' tale.

 

[Jarrad]

Chiggers are common in the southeastern US and I've learned to stay out of the grass later in the summer. I use Permethrin on my hiking boots. Not sure if the insect repellent actually helps, but it gives me some peace of mind. If I can't avoid the tall grass for some reason, I hit the shower ASAP after exposure. Not sure that water temperature makes a difference, but I can attest that scrubbing with soap and a wash cloth sends the invisible little buggers on their way to the drain.

No folk recipes have worked for me, certainly not the nail polish trick (although the mauve targets at the center of numerous pink rashes were ... something). After-Bite seems to provide some temporary relief.

I've had a few occasions where I've received more that just 3-4 nuisance bites and something approaching relief only came from two 25 mg tablets of the antihistamine Benadryl (diphenhydramine hydrochloride). I carry a small bottle with me everywhere I travel. Last year, after I was separated permanently from my luggage, I tried to find it at pharmacies in both France and Italy with no luck.

 

[Jichat]

Here in warm, sunny, Florida Chiggers are always a problem in the woods. I permithrin my socks regularly to avoid them anytime I go into the woods when it is over about 60 degrees. A couple around the waistline aren’t a big deal for me, but one hundred little bites on my feet cause me to lose sleep from the itching for about 10 days. According to a college science class that my hiking friend took, the bug doesn’t stay under the skin as I’ve always heard. Their saliva mixed with air/oxygen causes the itch. That’s why nail polish works for a little while. It cuts off the air to it, but it starts to peel off after an hour or so, in my experience. I have no issues if my clothing has permitherin. I’ll take a tick over a chigger any day!

 

[chinacat]

Here in warm, sunny, Florida Chiggers are always a problem in the woods. I permithrin my socks regularly to avoid them anytime I go into the woods when it is over about 60 degrees. A couple around the waistline aren’t a big deal for me, but one hundred little bites on my feet cause me to lose sleep from the itching for about 10 days. According to a college science class that my hiking friend took, the bug doesn’t stay under the skin as I’ve always heard. Their saliva mixed with air/oxygen causes the itch. That’s why nail polish works for a little while. It cuts off the air to it, but it starts to peel off after an hour or so, in my experience. I have no issues if my clothing has permitherin. I’ll take a tick over a chigger any day!

A tick bite can cause an infection with Lyme disease, which is very hard to eradicate once it has taken hold.

Are there any known infections that are caused by chiggers’ bites?

 

[Jichat]

A tick bite can cause an infection with Lyme disease, which is very hard to eradicate once it has taken hold.

Are there any known infections that are caused by chiggers’ bites?

Not that I know of. We have Lyme here, but very rarely.

 

[J Willhaus]

Of course you can scratch the bites and they can get infected, but no disease properties with Chiggers that I am aware of.

 

[Goyo]

Here in warm, sunny, Florida Chiggers are always a problem in the woods. I permithrin my socks regularly to avoid them anytime I go into the woods when it is over about 60 degrees. A couple around the waistline aren’t a big deal for me, but one hundred little bites on my feet cause me to lose sleep from the itching for about 10 days. According to a college science class that my hiking friend took, the bug doesn’t stay under the skin as I’ve always heard. Their saliva mixed with air/oxygen causes the itch. That’s why nail polish works for a little while. It cuts off the air to it, but it starts to peel off after an hour or so, in my experience. I have no issues if my clothing has permitherin. I’ll take a tick over a chigger any day

Hola Jichat! I suggest you take a gander at the cdc.gov site and type in”diseases transmitted by ticks”. Just in the US alone there are 16 listed. Go to the international page and there are 6 more, plus a list of ones shared with the US. And there’s more info at the links below:

Tick-borne diseases

Ticks themselves do not cause disease but if a tick is infected with a virus or bacterium, then that pathogen can be transmitted through the tick’s bite and cause disease in humans.

www.ecdc.europa.eu

https://www.astmh.org/for-astmh-members/clinical-consultants-directory (American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Stay safe

 

[Goyo]

A tick bite can cause an infection with Lyme disease, which is very hard to eradicate once it has taken hold.

Are there any known infections that are caused by chiggers’ bites?

According to the CDC, yes, there’s something called scrub typhus which is “spread to people through bites of infected chiggers (larval mites)” but cases of it occur in rural areas of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, China, Japan, India, and northern Australia.”

Scrub typhus | CDC

Information on scrub typhus.

www.cdc.gov

How to Identify and Control Chiggers

Chiggers, the larval phase of various mites in the Trombiculidae insect family, inflict painful, itchy bites. Learn how to control these tiny insects.

www.thespruce.com

Just a bit more info…