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I have a tick bite from three weeks ago, and it's still itching. The *&^$ came out whole and intact, but I am hypersensitive to tick bites.
As to chiggers, OMG. I had 21 chigger bites a couple years ago, and I thought I would die.
I can't recommend preventative measures, but I can tell you that a super-hot shower will bring relief from the itching. When I can't shower, I use a hair dryer to heat up the itchy spots. Something about the heat stops the itch.
Permethrin. Derived from chrysanthemums. Spray it on your pants, shoes, shirts, etc.
It kills ticks, chiggers, and other creepy crawlies, but is harmless to humans and other mammals.
An application lasts through several washings. I got it at Amazon but sporting goods stores like Bass Pro usually have it as well.
Spray it on dryer lint, then stuff it into toilet paper tubes and scatter around your property, in places where field mice might hang out. They take the material to line their nests. Mice are a major vector in the tick life cycle and This kills baby ticks and can greatly reduce the tick population around your property. You can also buy ready made tick tubes, but it's so easy and cheap to make them. I save all my dryer lint and toilet paper tubes all winter, and we're about to make a whole bunch of them.
I have a tick bite from three weeks ago, and it's still itching. The *&^$ came out whole and intact, but I am hypersensitive to tick bites.
As to chiggers, OMG. I had 21 chigger bites a couple years ago, and I thought I would die.
I can't recommend preventative measures, but I can tell you that a super-hot shower will bring relief from the itching. When I can't shower, I use a hair dryer to heat up the itchy spots. Something about the heat stops the itch.
I didn't know about the hot shower but wound up taking one after sitting with Avarest all over for a while. It did feel a lot better afterwards. A few years ago I was so proud of myself washing all the porch furniture outside, cushions and all. My legs were itching. Long story short, 72 bites later....
But that's better than a friend helping cut down tall grasses who was wearing the right clothes but no bug spray and got a very bad infection from chiggers on (or, it seems, in his legs. So bad, he never wants to work in yards again.
I read at that time that nematodes stop (eat or something) chiggers but that yard/property chemical spraying kills nematodes. And property near me at that time had been sprayed.
Maybe we need more nematodes. I read you can order them. No idea what they look like. And if they're invisible as chiggers...if we ordered some, how would we even know we got them?
Permethrin. Derived from chrysanthemums. Spray it on your pants, shoes, shirts, etc.
It kills ticks, chiggers, and other creepy crawlies, but is harmless to humans and other mammals.
An application lasts through several washings. I got it at Amazon but sporting goods stores like Bass Pro usually have it as well.
Spray it on dryer lint, then stuff it into toilet paper tubes and scatter around your property, in places where field mice might hang out. They take the material to line their nests. Mice are a major vector in the tick life cycle and This kills baby ticks and can greatly reduce the tick population around your property. You can also buy ready made tick tubes, but it's so easy and cheap to make them. I save all my dryer lint and toilet paper tubes all winter, and we're about to make a whole bunch of them.
Good luck and don't get bit!
Well, recycling at it's best.
Poor little mice, though. I have to say I have often thought of how to recycle tp tubes. I have teacher relatives who love my paper towel tubes for children's craft projects. But the idea of sharing tp tubes always kind of was unattractive to me. Well now I can put them in my yard.
And the lint. I'm a lint screen fanatic. I time the dry cycle so I can take any lint out two or three times during a cycle depending on whether they are lighter clothes or thicker towels.
Permethrin is an insecticide, not a repelland like DEET. That said, if the critters are dead before they crawl onto your skin, you're fine. Juse remember that repellants and 'cides are two different things, and that repellants don't work with all critters.
Tucking your pants (no shorts!) into your socks is important. Wearing long sleeves is essential. Gloves help too.
You can buy permethrin impregnated clothing, or buy the spray and impregnate your stuff yourself. Tractor Supply sells the spray cheap.
Finally, consider a headnet with a wide brimmed hat. We live in black fly country, so headnets are essential in late spring, but they're also good for mosquitoes, flies, ticks dropping from higher up, and who knows what else.
Permethrin is an insecticide, not a repelland like DEET. That said, if the critters are dead before they crawl onto your skin, you're fine. Juse remember that repellants and 'cides are two different things, and that repellants don't work with all critters.
Tucking your pants (no shorts!) into your socks is important. Wearing long sleeves is essential. Gloves help too.
You can buy permethrin impregnated clothing, or buy the spray and impregnate your stuff yourself. Tractor Supply sells the spray cheap.
Finally, consider a headnet with a wide brimmed hat. We live in black fly country, so headnets are essential in late spring, but they're also good for mosquitoes, flies, ticks dropping from higher up, and who knows what else.
Thanks for the valuable information.
I'll catch up a bit better after the weekend activities honoring those who served.
Right, no shorts. Can't even imagine. I know people who do wear them.
I have a system. Yes, long sleeves. Dark Tshirt underneath tucked in, waistband sprayed extra. Yes, socks over slacks...and boots especially where there's snake concern, which there also seems to be this year as well. Don't mind snakes. Actually like them...which means still being smart about them. We had one right by our front steps last year. Very sweet and eventually left. We just left it alone.
That headnet I had forgotten about. I do wear a headdress but no net. I remember now a neighbor across the road from our last house who wore a hat with a net. That's a good thing to add to my list.
Thanks for your interest and information.
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