Jim:
I’d like to recommend the best chigger bite treatment:
Put some rubbing alcohol on tissue paper and lightly rub this on the chigger bite as soon as possible. Hold in place for at least half a minute to kill germs. Then immediately rub a piece of ice on the bite for a few minutes to reduce swelling. This will eliminate pain and swelling by 99%. After getting hundreds of chigger bites over the years, this is the best method I’ve found. – Paul O.
James,
One thing to add about chiggers, or red bugs. I got these on my legs when I worked outside in Louisiana back in the early 1980s. I was told to sit for a half-hour in a hot bath, to which was added 1 cup of Pine-Sol. It did the trick, but I smelled like a pine tree for about three weeks. – Jim A.
Hi,
In reference to the recent bugs article, I wanted to share another defense against chiggers. We live in Texas and frequent areas that seem to be loved by chiggers. We’ve found that sulfur dust is a great chigger deterrent.
We put the sulfur dust in a sock and the tie a loose overhand knot in the sock. Before we go into a chigger infested area, like a dewberry patch or tall grass near a body of water, we’ll take the sock and pat it on our shoes, socks and pants (or legs if wearing shorts) up to the knee.
It’s not a foolproof method as we’ll get an occasion chigger bite, but I’ve gone into the previously mentioned areas in shorts and yellow tinged legs without being bothered by chiggers. We also try to stay out of these areas during the morning, or at least until the heat has burned the moisture off of the plants. It seems that there are fewer chiggers on the dried vegetation.
Best Regards, – Jeff B.