dmccarty
Super Star Member
You really have to tuck your pants legs into the socks. Otherwise the chiggers and/or ticks get ya.
I really wonder if the reason Marines and Soldier used to wear leggings was to keep out chiggers and ticks.
If the bottom of the legs are open then the chigger/ticks climb up your bare leg and/our down your sock if they are loose enough. You have to have a barrier to keep these Spawn of the Devil away from your skin.
More than a few years ago at this point, I was working in a cut over on our place during the late summer. I was wearing my light colored work trousers that had been treated in Permethrin. I saw two bucks with decent velvet racks run into the woods 200-300 years away. So I froze and watched them. It was so interesting to see how well they blended into the woods. If you did not know they were there you would miss them. Had this happen a few weeks ago but even closer. If I had not seen the doe run into the brush I never would have noticed her. Even knowing she was standing 25 yards it front of me it was hard to see her....
Any who, while I was pondering the wonders of deer camoflauge I noticed that I had hit not one but two nests of chiggers. One for each leg. So at least I was balanced. Each grouping was just below the knee and about the size of a dime. Looks like someone had dropped very fine ground pepper on my legs. HUNDREDS of the Devil Spawn. Most of the chiggers started moving up. Some went down leg. They did not make it far before the Permethrin caused them to fall off and/or they died. Most never moved 3 inches. Some might have gone 6 before they died.
If I had stepped on the chigger nests and they had gotten to my bare ankle skin. Well you know the rest. Or if the clothes had not been treated they would have kept climbing until they got to my waist band and in they would go to find a dark, warm moist area. That would be most unpleasant to have hundreds of chigger bites in the waist area. If ya know what I am saying. :laughing:
The problem with tucking your legs into the socks is that even with long socks, and boy don't you just look Real Manly with pants legs tucked into socks, is that the legs can pull out of the socks ever so slightly leaving an opening for the Devil Spawn.
But don't do what I did to solve the leg sock opening.
Do NOT use duct tape.
Oh, it works very, very, very well. No chiggers or ticks are getting in at your ankles.
The problem is getting YOUR legs our of YOUR pants. :laughing:
I pretty much destroyed a pair of work pants.
A few months after doing this I saw a Bell South worker heading into the woods..... Pants duct taped to his boots. At least the ticks and chiggers were not going to get him. :laughing:
Now I just wear very long socks. Tuck the legs very carefully into the socks. And watch for openings that might be exploited by the Devil Spawn.
During the all day shows about D Day that were on last Sunday, June 6th, I was very envious of the Churchill flame throwing tank that was show in action. I sure could use that for a few hours.....
Later,
Dan
I really wonder if the reason Marines and Soldier used to wear leggings was to keep out chiggers and ticks.
If the bottom of the legs are open then the chigger/ticks climb up your bare leg and/our down your sock if they are loose enough. You have to have a barrier to keep these Spawn of the Devil away from your skin.
More than a few years ago at this point, I was working in a cut over on our place during the late summer. I was wearing my light colored work trousers that had been treated in Permethrin. I saw two bucks with decent velvet racks run into the woods 200-300 years away. So I froze and watched them. It was so interesting to see how well they blended into the woods. If you did not know they were there you would miss them. Had this happen a few weeks ago but even closer. If I had not seen the doe run into the brush I never would have noticed her. Even knowing she was standing 25 yards it front of me it was hard to see her....
Any who, while I was pondering the wonders of deer camoflauge I noticed that I had hit not one but two nests of chiggers.
One for each leg. So at least I was balanced. Each grouping was just below the knee and about the size of a dime. Looks like someone had dropped very fine ground pepper on my legs. HUNDREDS of the Devil Spawn. Most of the chiggers started moving up. Some went down leg. They did not make it far before the Permethrin caused them to fall off and/or they died. Most never moved 3 inches. Some might have gone 6 before they died.If I had stepped on the chigger nests and they had gotten to my bare ankle skin. Well you know the rest.
Or if the clothes had not been treated they would have kept climbing until they got to my waist band and in they would go to find a dark, warm moist area. That would be most unpleasant to have hundreds of chigger bites in the waist area. If ya know what I am saying. :laughing:The problem with tucking your legs into the socks is that even with long socks, and boy don't you just look Real Manly with pants legs tucked into socks, is that the legs can pull out of the socks ever so slightly leaving an opening for the Devil Spawn.
But don't do what I did to solve the leg sock opening.
Do NOT use duct tape.
Oh, it works very, very, very well. No chiggers or ticks are getting in at your ankles.
The problem is getting YOUR legs our of YOUR pants. :laughing:
I pretty much destroyed a pair of work pants.
A few months after doing this I saw a Bell South worker heading into the woods..... Pants duct taped to his boots.
At least the ticks and chiggers were not going to get him. :laughing:Now I just wear very long socks. Tuck the legs very carefully into the socks. And watch for openings that might be exploited by the Devil Spawn.
During the all day shows about D Day that were on last Sunday, June 6th, I was very envious of the Churchill flame throwing tank that was show in action. I sure could use that for a few hours.....
Later,
Dan
