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Upstate New York

chigger bites from lawn??? Too OT??? Help!!!

17 years ago

Hi,

A question for all those in the Southern Tier/ Binghamton area.

I'm about 7 miles north of Binghamton. I have gotten some big ole welts that itch like crazy, just like the chigger bites we suffered in Kansas as a kid. I only get these bites occasionally while mowing the lawn or carrying the grass clippings.

Searching for info, I found one site that claims chiggers are potentially everywhere but most contradict that, claiming there are no chiggers this far north. There's not a mention in this forum and someone in PA posted a similar complaint and was told there are no chiggers there and it must be something else.

I didn't think they were up north either until these evil bites. My yard backs up to a hay field. Anyone know what evil bugs up here cause such welts and itching besides chiggers? They are different bites from the "no-see-ems" and mosquitos that attack me daily and I have yet to see a bug at the bite sites.

Gee whiz, I thought hornets, yellow jackets, wasps, ants, slugs, grubs, voles and spiders were enough to contend with!

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Comments (5)

gottagarden
17 years ago
I've never heard of chiggers here, the name alone sounds terrible! How about fleas? Do you have dogs?

Mosquitoes are the bitingest insect around here.
Dottie B.
17 years ago
I have been having the same problem. I used to live down south, so I know what a chigger bite is like and these bites seem very similar. I don't remember ever having this problem before. Usually when I get a mosquito bite, it welts right away and turns a little red and they itch for a couple of days (moderately)...these bites are different...they do not welt (almost looks like a pimple), they aren't red, but they itch like crazy and nothing seems to help the itch. And they seem to itch for a week or more. And I never see them bite me, so I don't know exactly when or where I am getting them. I hope we can figure it out soon.... :(
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Lots of replies but I'd might as well join in: It's a three stage process. 1. No later than the middle of August, (in Delaware) make sure the area you think the chiggers call home is mowed, and/or sprayed with a good outdoor insecticide spray. Then make sure you use something with deet in it to spray around your shoe tops, sock tops and pants legs. 2. Because you just realized you've got a dandy case of chiggers and had forgotten number one, you should try to kill the chiggers that may be still sucking at the feeding tube (?) they inject the digestive enzyme that causes the pimples and itch. I use something with deet in it to lightly spray my legs up to the knees at least.* (It is said that chiggers don't burrow in but insert a feeding tube.) 3. Now use a dilute solution of vinegar and water in a very small basin. (I use a cup and a half of vinegar that seems about the right for the amount of WARM water). The reason for this is to neutralize as best you can, the digestive fluid already in your skin. A little soap will help the mixture to penetrate. (hopefully) Take your time and give the solution time to work. Do NOT use a towel. Let it dry. *I used to take a shower with a cake of dog flea soap which seemed to help (as soon as I realized I had chiggers). This does nothing to immediately stop the itch, but at least it prevents more places that itch. It is best to remember to do number one, but I never do. I walk through weeds on my way to the compost heap and get chiggers almost every year. This year was bad I think because of the frequent rains.
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The chiggers are living in the grass, waiting for a warm blooded victim. Your pets don't have anything (or very little) to do with the fact that you are getting bitten by these awful things. You might want to ask your vet about the Frontline, and what you can do to prevent them from being walking chigger factories. It is recommended that you wash your clothes in HOT water, on a long cycle. They can survive in the laundry if washed in cool water. ;-( Cover up as much as possible, of course so that they stay on the clothes not on you. In the shower, scrubbing is a good policy rather than relying on a quick rinse-off to do the job. Repellents are helpful and I've always like Avon's Skin So Soft. Works for me. I would think that frequent mowing would help, and maybe applications of insecticidal soap to areas that are frequented by you all. You can do a population test by placing squares of black (or dark) paper on the grass or plants. After just a few minutes, chiggers will climb on board (if there are any). The attached fact sheet will be helpful in understanding these creatures. The insecticidal information at the end is outdated and incorrect. (Their recommendations are no longer available on the market, thankfully.) Here is a link that might be useful: Scratch scratch scritch scritch
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Comments (4)
Yes, I read to take a shower after being outside, and never wear the same pants twice. Anyhow, due to the heatwave we had this year I also wore shorts more than I usually due which obviously wasn't much a help. I just wish there was some other answere, like spreading lady-bugs or something else to cut down on the chigger population. Maybe hummingbirds or preying mantids would help? I guess chiggers are too small to be caught by them.
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We've got bad chiggers in central TX, they're unavoidable, we get them just walking in any type of grass in our yard. Since you just cant jump in the shower 5 times a day to wash them off, instead I find that I can whisk them off with a medium-soft bristle brush. I get a big brush and take off my shoes and socks, then brush the feet good as (if they were covered with ants), turning the socks inside out to brush hard there as well. Then pull up the pant leg and brush behind the knee... you know they like it there! (groan) If you got privacy go ahead and do the rest of their favorite locations. Brush well! It takes a minute, but its worked somewhat for me, my legs have fared better lately. chemical free - energy free Its hard to avoid getting bit up by chiggers if I have to cut weeds with the gas trimmer, even with DEET. They are nasty. I see people stopped along side the highway taking wildflower pictures in late April, and just shudder. Get ready to itch!
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Carol_from_ny
17 years ago
Skeeters in the Binghamton area have been awful...probably due in part to some of the water left standing from the recent flooding.
What you are describing sounds alot like flea bites. Fleas live in grasses. Doesn't matter if you have pets or not. They get active when the weather starts to cool. They can travel in the cuffs of pants or on socks so watch that they don't travel inside.
penny1947
17 years ago
For the past two summers I have had blisters like the ones in the link below just below my ankle along the outside of my foot and occasionally on the bottom of my foot as I wear flip flops or sandals all summer. They have itched so bad I went to a doctor and the doctor couldn't figure out what it was. They gave me a topical ointment that did nothing for the itching. I know they have chiggers in OH. so if they have them there they possibly have chiggars here in NY. I don't think that flea bites will cause blisters below is a picture of what chigger bites look like.

Penny

Here is a link that might be useful:
lustrosa7321
6 years ago
I live in NW Washington and get these bites after mowing in tall grass. They seem to occur on my buttocks and cause great swollen itching bumps that last for over a week. Very curious, as this has only begun happening the last three years or so. Climate warming as southern creatures make their way north?

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