Looking for opinions on Relocating to the Ozarks (Kansas City, St. Louis: tornadoes, cheap home)

[PA_Mom]

I keep hearing about chiggers. I figured they are some kind of bug. What are they? How big? Do they bite? Where do they live, etc.

[UCTDIVER]

My advice to anyone moving from CA to MO is to consider the Virginia Beach Area. I grew up in MO. Then lived in Ventura County, CA for 15 yrs and now reside in Virginia Beach, VA. VB has the current culture of a big city, and the green/weather/people of the midwest and an ocean to boot. The cost of living is way less than CA but a bit more that MO.

[texas scorpio]

Originally Posted by PA_Mom

I keep hearing about chiggers. I figured they are some kind of bug. What are they? How big? Do they bite? Where do they live, etc.

chiggers are very tiny bugs.so small you can hardly see them. they live in tall grass and wooded areas.if they get on you you will itch like crazy. just take a bath or shower to get rid of them.

[MoMark]

Originally Posted by PA_Mom

I keep hearing about chiggers. I figured they are some kind of bug. What are they? How big? Do they bite? Where do they live, etc.

OK, here goes:
Chiggers are the larvae of mites belonging to the suborder prostigmata, commonly called harvest mites or scrub mites. Like ticks and spiders, mites go through three biological stages in their life cycle: They begin as eggs, hatch as larvae, develop into nymphs and finally become adults. Nymph and adult harvest mites feed mostly on plant life and don't bother people or other mammals, but in the larval stage, many of the species in the prostigmata suborder are parasitic. After a parasitic chigger hatches, it finds a good position on tall grass or other vegetation so it can spring onto a passing animal. When it finds an animal, it attaches to the animal to gather the protein it needs to grow into the nymph stage.

Chiggers do not burrow under your skin, as many people believe, nor do they feed on animal blood. They actually feed on the fluids in skin cells. To get the fluids, they attach themselves to a skin pore or hair follicle and inject a digestive enzyme that ruptures the cells. The enzyme also hardens the surrounding skin tissue, forming a sort of straw for sucking the skin cell fluids. The whole process irritates the skin, causing an itchy red bump that continues to cause discomfort for several days. Chiggers are only about 1/50th of an inch (0.5 mm) in diameter and so are too small to be seen with the naked eye. This invisibility is the reason so many people believe chiggers burrow under the skin.

You might encounter chiggers in any number of environments, but they are especially concentrated in damp areas with a lot of vegetation. They are attracted to concealed, moist conditions on hosts, too, so they tend to attach to skin under tight clothing, such as socks and underwear, or in concealed areas of the body, such as the groin and the armpits. One way to decrease the chance of chigger bites is to wear loose clothing when you're in the woods or other infested areas. You should also take a shower as soon as you get home from an outdoor expedition, to remove any chiggers before they attach to your skin.

They aren't that big a deal. I find ticks to be far more of a worry, but if you're traipsing out in the woods or weedy areas, the best thing is to strip before coming into the house and plop those clothes into a hot wash. Don't keep wearing the clothes you wore outside inside if you've been in the wooded areas, or the ticks might hitch a ride then drop off in your bedroom or living room, etc. I had a huge one digging on my arm last year at 3am while in bed. It tickled and woke me up. I tried to pull it off and it wouldn't let go. I had to really PULL..lol. I know I caught it while walking over acreage on a property I was interested in.

[PA_Mom]

Thanks MoMark! I have only two more questions about chiggers. Do they carry diseases (like ticks)? And can they infest your house (like fleas)? Thank you so much for all the info!!!!!
PA_Mom

[christina0001]

And one more question: is this something a person might experience just walking through their normal mowed lawn, or is this more of an issue for people who hunt, avid outdoorsmen, etc.?

[MoMark]

I'm unaware of chiggers carrying any diseases or infesting a house. Remember, they are only the larvae and they are only a pest to humans for a short time in that stage. They wouldn't survive in houses well I don't think. I think fleas though are an issue. I don't have them in my house, but the squirrels outside, the wild rabbits, and the deer are constantly scratching, so I never let my cats out. If I have a dog, and I'm thinking of it, I will have to put up with fleas attaching themselves from outside and the dog will need the Advantage treatment, etc. throughout the warm seasons.
As for chiggers and lawns, I have almost three acres of lawn in front of my house leading to the road and I keep it mowed and walk all through it with no problems. Mowed lawns generally keep ticks away too. But I also have two acres of forest behind my house and I don't walk through it without socks rolled over my pant cuffs and long sleeve shirts on buttoned to the neck. I have no fear in the winter when it's been under 32F for awhile. It's the grassy wilder areas, pastures, and woods or high weed areas where one might encounter chiggers and ticks. I, for one, have never been bitten by chiggers. But, I've had infrequent encounters with ticks. I'd rather be chigger bitten than have a tick on me. Ticks just gross me out.

[RCL]

Originally Posted by UCTDIVER

My advice to anyone moving from CA to MO is to consider the Virginia Beach Area. I grew up in MO. Then lived in Ventura County, CA for 15 yrs and now reside in Virginia Beach, VA. VB has the current culture of a big city, and the green/weather/people of the midwest and an ocean to boot. The cost of living is way less than CA but a bit more that MO.

OK, this should probably be answered on the VA board but since it was posted here, I'll reply here.

I've been to VA Beach several times and have good friends who live there and also other friends who have lived there and moved away. While I (and they) agree VA Beach is beautiful, the cost of living there is getting to be very high and traffic is becoming a nightmare. Schools are not the greatest either. It's pretty divided neighborhood by neighborhood in terms of crime rate and quality of schools. While crime is lower in "The Beach" than in say Norfolk or Portsmouth, it's still pretty bad in some areas.

The economy there has mainly a bunch of service jobs and a GLUT of servicemembers being discharged into the local economy, so good luck finding any of the decent jobs. Since the cost of housing in The Beach is getting so high (and not many good paying jobs), many people are now flocking to the smaller surrounding towns to buy less expensive housing. You've now got neglected latch-key kids in the bedroom communities because their parents have 1-1.5 hour commute each way so they are gone early and get home late. In this regard, it's much like California.

Keep in mind, it is also a "tourist area" so you also have to learn to deal with THOUSANDS of tourists there from May-September. This has an effect on the locals because the stores get out of stock, the parking lots get full, and lines in restaurants get long, etc. etc. etc. etc.

You also find some of the worst ghettos in the country there in Norfolk and Portsmouth. There is a terrible crime problem in those areas. They have gentrifed some of it through eminent domain and redevelopment, but it's still got a long way to go. Lots of areas are blighted really bad. They don't put this in the tourist brochures, though. It's cheaper than FL or CA, but won't be that way too much longer.

It's a nice place to visit and there are a lot of things to do there. Speaking as a fellow diver, I agree that living near the ocean is nice, but what I personally am looking for in Missouri is a peaceful, serene life without crime and traffic, and a LOW cost of living. I gather many of the others on this forum are looking for the same. When I want to dive, I'll find a lake or quarry, or hop on a plane and head to the coast.

[Ozarks21]

Originally Posted by INTN

This thread is real helpful.

My situation is I was orignally a FL girl. Been in E. TN for 3.5 years and know it is not for me and my family. I am not a church goer nor do I have any family here. People actually call me a yankee (I am from Florida). I find the people rude for the most part. I have been through STL and to OK City on a few occassions and find mid-westerns are nice people.

I am considering a move to the Springfield/Nixa area. We would take a trip and check it out of course first. But I am scared it might be a lot like where I am at now. Is there anyone that can compare the two.

I haven't lived in E. TN but from your description it sounds alot like the small towns around this area. Springfield, on the other hand, is big enough that you don't have to fit the mold. It is certainly a good place for Christians. But I have a number of friends who are not, and it isn't an issue.

I have only been in Springfield since 1999. I found it very easy to acclimate. There is a contingent of long-time locals, but they have become the minority. There are enough "outsiders" like myself that you are never treated like an outsider.

Oh, and Floridians ARE Yankees.

[socal12]

Could I please have more info? Thanks, Adeana