Chiggers

A chigger is actually a very tiny arachnid, like spiders and ticks. Its scientific description is: family of Trombiculidae, in the order Actinedida, in the class Arachnida.

The chigger is so tiny, in fact, that it is virtually impossible to see unless you are looking directly at – and for – one. And seeing the teeny creature in any detail would definitely require the use of a microscope or at least a magnifying glass.

It is the larval stage of chigger that bites as it feeds on blood. Adults do not bite people, rather, they feed on plants and small insects.

Chiggers:

• Are about 1/60th of an inch in size as adults, less than 1/150th of an inch as larvae
• As larvae, they have only six legs, but adults have eight legs.
• Are red in color, but turn yellowish after feeding on blood.
• Can be confused with mites because of their appearance and size.

The Difference Between Chigger Bites and Mosquito Bites

Because chiggers are so hard to see, you are most likely to know that you’ve come upon chiggers because of the itchy welts on your skin from their bites. Chigger bites can be differentiated from those of mosquitoes by:

• chiggers will get in and under clothing to get to areas where skin is thinnest, such as ankles, waist, backs of knees, armpits and crotch. Mosquitoes will focus on any exposed area of skin.
• Chigger bites leave a little red pimple-like bump right in the center of the bite. Mosquito bites are of a single color.

• Chigger bites are generally painless when they occur, but after several hours itching will begin. Mosquito bites generally tend to begin to itch soon after a person is bitten.
• Chigger bites are not known to transmit disease, but mosquito bites can carry malaria, West Nile Virus, and other encephalitis viruses.

According to the National Institute of Health’s Medline Plus publication, "A skin rash may appear on the parts of the body that were exposed to the sun. It may stop where the underwear meets the legs. This is often a clue that the rash is due to chigger bites."

Chiggers are most commonly found in tall or bushy grasses and weeds, berry patches, and the edges of woodlands, however they may be plentiful in one part of an area and absent from another (meaning if you are picking berries with a friend, one of you may suffer chigger bites, while the other remains bite-free). They are particularly common in areas that stay damp during the day. Chiggers are most active at lower summer temperatures of high 70s to the low 80s, becoming inactive below 60F and above 99F.

If a Chigger Bites

Bite prevention and action recommendations from the Missouri Department of Conservation include:

• Protect your skin by wearing tightly woven clothes that cover as much of your body as possible with minimal openings.
• Apply insect repellents to your clothes prior to going into potential chigger areas.
• When you do feel or see chiggers on your skin, remove them right away. The longer a chigger feeds the greater will be the intensity of the itch.
• Bathe soon after exposure. Read "Related Information" below to learn more.
• Do not scratch. It increases the chance of infection and keeps a bite open, preventing it from healing.
• Additionally, if you are bitten, Medline notes that antihistamines and corticosteroid creams or lotions may help to ease the itch and pain.