Concern about ticks?

[dave1949]

The woods ticks are thick here this Spring. Both the wife and I have taken a couple off ourselves and several off the dog. I think they are all bigger than deer ticks and smaller than what we call dog ticks.

After finding one on me, every little hair twitch on the arm or leg gets me looking for more
Dave.

 

[dmccarty]

The woods ticks are thick here this Spring. Both the wife and I have taken a couple off ourselves and several off the dog. I think they are all bigger than deer ticks and smaller than what we call dog ticks.

After finding one on me, every little hair twitch on the arm or leg gets me looking for more
Dave.

Advantage/Frontline products are sorta working on the dog but she carries in lots of ticks. I was standing in the kitchen last night and felt something on my leg. Yep. Nice big Lone Star tick. And we ain't in Texas. I wish we could ship them back to Texas.

Since Advantage/Frontline does not work until the ticks bite we are getting some food grade diatomaceous earth to put on the dog. It is supposed to control pest on chickens so maybe it will work on the dog.

Later,
Dan

 

[beppington]

CHIGGERS. GOT 'EM. LOTS OF 'EM.

Got 'em 3 out of the last 4 weekends at my new property.

Weekend #1: About 45 chigger bites. Itching was horrible & would wake me up all during the night. One night it happened at 3am, 4am then 5:30am. Sometimes I'd wake up feeling like bugs were crawling on my legs, even though I'd showered using a bath brush with lots of soap. First time I've ever used a "bath brush"; Felt very manly.

Weekend #2 (1 week later): First bout was coming along, most itching was reduced to just very slight, then I got an all-new batch of chiggers. I think some of the new chiggers moved right into an old chigger's bite hole. Mother Nature has a weird sense of humor.

Weekend #3 (2 week after #2): More chigger bites, but not as many as either of the first 2 episodes, maybe 20; I think I'm running out of stuff to offer them. Or my "system" has built up a somewhat decent chigger immunity.

Believe it or not I'm actually getting kind of used to just being itchy all the time. I did wake up scratching once last night at 3:30am, but it wasn't terrible, even though my ankles look like a swarm of ants or bees attacked me.

Next workday at the property I'm going to try this: I think chiggers don't like oily skin, so I'm going to put an oily sunblock all over my feet/ ankles/ legs/ underwear zone, & then dust that whole area with diatomaceous earth. It should be fairly uncomfortable but should wash right off in the shower. Hopefully it'll work.

Edit: This isn't my foot, but it's about what mine look like:

 

[waynokakid]

Next time you get in the chiggers. Try some Dawn dish soap. When you get in the shower, lather up all over and leave it on for at least 1 minute. Then rinse. This should take care of the chiggers. It has worked for me. Sure beats taking a chlorine bleach bath.

 

[dmccarty]

Trying to stop the chiggers getting you is like stopping the ticks. But harder.

Wear light color long legged trousers. Tuck the legs into long socks. Use Permethrin or DEET on the clothes.

Once you get bit the best thing I have found is to use Benydryl gel on the bites. It is easy to spread all over the large area of bites. And maybe the oral meds as well. For some reason it seems like chigger bites itch early in the am.

I have tried the soap idea and it did not work for me. Chiggers do not take long to bite you. When looking at land years ago I walked into an area I knew I should not. But I had talked to a neighbor of the land that was for sale and they really insisted I needed to see the lot. :laughing: And they were right. It had old boats, 55 gallon drums, trash, a bus, a car, etc.

But to see that stuff I had to walk through Vetch which I call Tick Weed.

I was wearing shorts and shoes with no socks....

Driving back to the nearest town I felt itchy. I looked down at my legs and I was COVERED in Chiggers. I stopped at the first gas station and bought the LAST can of bug spray for $5. I would have paid $20.

Used the WHOLE can on both legs. The people at the pumps thought I was nuts. They were right I should have bought the spray BEFORE wading into the Tick Weeds.

The ticks had not been on me more than 40 minutes. Most likely 20 minutes.

Chigger bites do not bother me as much as they used too. But they are still bad. I have found that itching the heck out of the bites until it ouzes white fluid seems to end the itching the fastest. Not a great solution though.

Later,
Dan

 

[beppington]

Next time you get in the chiggers. Try some Dawn dish soap. When you get in the shower, lather up all over and leave it on for at least 1 minute. Then rinse. This should take care of the chiggers. It has worked for me. Sure beats taking a chlorine bleach bath.

This apparently only works if you catch them in time, that is less than an hour after they're on you. Once they've injected you, it's all over but the itchin' & scratchin'.

 

[beppington]

Trying to stop the chiggers getting you is like stopping the ticks. But harder.

Exactly right!

Wear light color long legged trousers.

I had on white pants the first two times!

Tuck the legs into long socks.

I did not do that, apparently should've.

Use Permethrin or DEET on the clothes.

I sprayed my white pants with OFF. No dice. Chiggers must've thrived on it.

For some reason it seems like chigger bites itch early in the am.

You ain't kiddin'. Even though I think the chiggers are long gone, the itching stops until you fall asleep & then kicks back into gear. What gives?? Are the chiggers still there??

... I had to walk through Vetch which I call Tick Weed.

My property has lots of 2'-3' high prairie grass (see below) that must be walked through to get to certain areas. It screams "Chiggers within" but I had to go. Although I even got them this past weekend when up in the seat of a Mahindra 4110 the whole day. Figure that.

I have found that itching the heck out of the bites until it ouzes white fluid seems to end the itching the fastest.

Most of mine have evolved to that stage anyway, but I may try to make it happen faster!

 

[IslandTractor]

No insect has ever made me as miserable as chiggers. No warning that you are being bitten, you cannot see them and don't discover you've been had until it is too late to do much about it. I find the bites itch from about day 2 until day 14 and as beppington noted the itch keeps you up at night, makes you look nutty during the day as you scratch yourself and just plain leaves you miserable. I'd gladly take a few dozen mosquito bites in exchange for every chigger bite.

On the other hand, it was chiggers that chased me off the ground with my brush clearing when I was using walk behind brush mowers and therefore forced me to discover tractors. So, there was a silver lining for me. But they are still about the only insect I really fear. Makes me itch just to think about them.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

That picture of a foot looked like fireant bites to me.

We used to put salty bacon grease where the chiggers had bitten, just dab the places at the elastic waistband and around the legs.

Another good one that is less messy, is paint each chigger bite with clear nail polish, seals them up.

Then benadryl at night, not back then but in more recent years.

Where we live now, its sandy but we don't have ticks, never found one here nor chiggers and we live in the country. Think the fireants kill them. But now I have just 3 chickens and they keep down all the bugs. Saw them chase down a grasshopper and eat it yesterday.

 

[IslandTractor]

Another good one that is less messy, is paint each chigger bite with clear nail polish, seals them up.

I don't think it seals them up as the chigger is gone already. I more likely it kills the nerve that is transmitting the itch sensation.