4 Rattlesnakes Along a Road

[manumuskin]

chiggers have been here at least since I was a kid in the 70's.the big season is from late august into early october.walk down any old road that has knee high grass growin in it from no more vehicle use and you will be introduced to chiggers.try this in september with sandals on.It's a never to be repeated experience.No worries,they do not carry diseases as do ticks and as for myself i literally know over a dozen people with Lymes personally and many more second hand.I think the antidote for Lyme's lies somewhere in my blood and also probably in several PBX members blood also.
Once you get your intro to the little nasties go home and pour a gallon of epsom salt in the hottest bath water you can stand.The get in and scratch the bastards raw.this will be the most enjoyable experience you've probably had heightened by you relief you will receive from your worst experience ever.Then write us and let us know how you like chiggers
Al

 

[Hewey]

I think the antidote for Lyme's lies somewhere in my blood and also probably in several PBX members blood also.

Thats a good one! How I never got a tick born illness is beyond me! I have never been good with checking myself for ticks when I get out of the woods.

When I get chiggers Tracey will not let me sleep in our bed that night.

Chris

 

[Pan]

Chiggers:

http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/avoid-outdoor-pests/chiggers

Closely related to ticks. You just gotta love that branch of the animal family! I wonder why I was never troubled by them.

In latter days when i went hiking down there I'd wear white socks and tuck my pants legs into them and spray them with deet, for ticks.

 

[Pan]

Guy - I just looked at the photos on top of this thread, and watched the video too. I actually found the video linked to your Youtube Friendship video. I must confess I didn't even look at this whole thread before. Wow! Extraordinary!

 

[Teegate]

Thanks Pan and all!

I actually found a skin recently.

Guy

 

[dragoncjo]

I find ticks and chiggs are even worse by you Al and further down along the del. bay area. Neither chiggs or ticks bother me much anymore. I think they've recognized me almost as a local and just leave me alone, they like to nibble on the new folks to break them down, almost like pine barrens hazing.

 

[Pan]

Dragon - Maybe it's the ferocious ticks and chiggers that has helped to keep the Barrens barren all these centuries - along with the Jersey Devil, of course.

 

[manumuskin]

I do agree that getting chiggers is more likely down here then in the barrens.here they are everywhere but i have gotten them in the barrens every bit as viciously as down here.I can laugh at shoobies freaking out over skeeters and gnats.I hate deerflies and greenheads but can also ignore them if i am intent on showing off for the shoobies.Ticks are a minor nuisance to me compared to flies but one thing I will never be able to ignore is chiggers.I will become a sobbing maniac infront of whoever happens to be there as I fall to the ground and scratch my ankles bloody.Nevertheless for some reason i will still not stay out of the woods in chigger season.God bless the person who invented Peremethrin.Wish i had it as a kid.

 

[Pan]

"God bless the person who invented Peremethrin.Wish i had it as a kid."

So do you use this instead of DEET? Do you spray it on your socks and trouser bottoms?

 

[bobpbx]

Pan, I don't know...maybe my memory is short....but I was not bothered as a kid. I lived a little over a half mile from the little country store at the lake. I went barefoot all summer...back and forth to the store and lake so often my skin was like leather. And yet, none of us never complained of chiggers. Even ticks were not a nuisance like now. Skeeters were much more troublesome back then though...but I also purposely ran into the cloud of DDT when the fogging truck went by. Hey...maybe I'm on to something here.....

 

[dragoncjo]

Pan the ticks and chiggers certainly do keep some folks away which is fine by me, more land for me to roam. Al, the type of bushwacking you do I'm suprised you haven't built up some sort of immunity to the chiggs. The only time I'm really bothered by chiggers is at night while sleeping but I seem to deal with them ok....I would say pine flies are the ones I hate the most.

 

[Pan]

Pan, I don't know...maybe my memory is short....but I was not bothered as a kid. I lived a little over a half mile from the little country store at the lake. I went barefoot all summer...back and forth to the store and lake so often my skin was like leather. And yet, none of us never complained of chiggers. Even ticks were not a nuisance like now. Skeeters were much more troublesome back then though...but I also purposely ran into the cloud of DDT when the fogging truck went by. Hey...maybe I'm on to something here.....

Note: Kids, do not try this this at home! Do not walk through clouds of DDT without adult supervision!

Maybe when the crop duster in the biplane sprayed me that time it made me immune to chiggers (but not ticks).

 

[manumuskin]

Pan,
Deet is okay for flying pests but it does not hold a candle to Peremethrin when it comes to chiggers.Peremethrin is the chemical.I have seen it in two brand names.Permanone and Duranon oh and also as Repel in walmart.Do not put on your skin,I did this once hence the face you see to your left.It is to be sprayed on your clothes and let dry before putting them on.It lasts two weeks thru repeated washing if you get the sprat,if you get the juice that I have seen at DICKS sporting goods that is supposed to last for six weeks.it is much wetter and concentrated.
Bob
I also walked through the DDT clouds and rode bikes.I think the last thing I said to my buddies before passing out was "Yo Dude,this is good shit!
maybe that made the face???
Al

 

[manumuskin]

Pan the ticks and chiggers certainly do keep some folks away which is fine by me, more land for me to roam. Al, the type of bushwacking you do I'm suprised you haven't built up some sort of immunity to the chiggs. The only time I'm really bothered by chiggers is at night while sleeping but I seem to deal with them ok....I would say pine flies are the ones I hate the most.

Dragon
When I was a kid they didn't phase me either.Oh they itched like hell but I ignored it and lived with it.In the summer I could scratch as I pleased.Shoes didn't touch my feet three months a year.Now I have to work in boots with sweaty feet and cannot be taking them off to scratch so i try to avoid the bastards when possible.
What you refer to as pine flies and I have heard Bob use the term as well down here we call deer flies.must be different local vernacular there just like we have criks down here and a river named after a Prince but we say it like it's named after a cat.
also in florida they have a fly slightly smaller then deer flies and a little brighter yellow called yellow flies by the locals.They are worse then deer flies could ever be.I lost weight after gettin into a mess of them for an hour.I had chunks missing in places I didn't know i had.Mindless little SOB's.I hate em.
Al

 

[dragoncjo]

Al I think I use deer and pine flies synonymously, but use pine more times than not. I really hate them and they are the only thing that can chase me out of the pines, they seem to love to chew on my head and neck.

 

[manumuskin]

Al I think I use deer and pine flies synonymously, but use pine more times than not. I really hate them and they are the only thing that can chase me out of the pines, they seem to love to chew on my head and neck.

I have ran from them slapping wildly a few times myself.They ran me for a half mile once.I was in an open cut over pine oak woods in july.i ran half a mile to a cedar swamp to get away from them.they seem to love the heat.Also if you can manage to sit still a few minutes they will go away.they hunt by sight and air currents caused by movement and when you knock them out from under the leaves they hide under so stillness will make them go away on the other hand skeeters and gnats hunt by scent so staying still only lets them zero in on you because carbon oozes out our pores and our nose.I frequently rip off a leafy branch in fly season to use as a swat.It usually helps.

 

[46er]

The best thing I have found for skeeters, ticks, deer flies, greenheads & chiggers down here is the avon-so-soft bug guard plus with picaridin or expedition products. It is the only product I have found that repels greenies & deer flies. Works equally well on the black flies & no-see-um's up north, which are 10 times worse than anything we have, they are like flying chiggers. This stuff can be applied to the skin and the smell is tolerable; has spf protection and lasts a decent amount of time in wet/sweaty conditions and a little goes a long way. Only drawback is you can't get it in stores, has to be ordered thru an Avon rep.

Black fly bites

 

[manumuskin]

I just have an aversion to smelling like a woman,that is of course except when I'm in Alfreda mode.

 

[46er]

Al, the smell is very weak, gone in maybe 5-10 minutes, unlike the winged devils it protects against. Your own body aroma might even be strong enough to mask it

 

[manumuskin]

I've heard the wonders of Skin So Soft before.'ve also hear wearing panty hose will deter chiggers also.As long as it's not too hot the panty hose might work well with my high heeled waders.I might have to try it but my luck I'll get an ugly runner in em.Being feminine is so tough.Geesh!