Chiggers, Gunning River, BL?

[46er]

The spot where they attach and insert their sucker thing is coated with a substance from them that keeps the opening open and allows the digested tissue to flow. That substance is what causes the itch. The chigger itself falls off, just like a tick, after sucking your flesh. Poor choice of terms.
A good source on chiggers at this link from Missouri;

http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/arthopo/chiggers/

We need a chigger smiley....

 

[Teegate]

We need a chigger smiley....

And a tick smiley. Good idea 46er.

Guy

 

[Ben Ruset]

Chiggers and ticks do not make me smile. My legs are all chewed up right now, and I woke up again last night from the itching.

 

[gipsie]

I think when it comes to ticks and chiggers, we should be calling them 'emoticons', not smilies!

 

[Ben Ruset]

http://www.dailyyonder.com/chiggers-try-wire-brush-black-decker

 

[46er]

I started scratching as soon as I opened that link......

 

[Sue Gremlin]

 

[Teegate]

That is an interesting one!

Guy

 

[PitchPineJohn]

September seems to be the worst month for them. I remember last year hiking there were balls of chiggers going onto my pants from the unavoidable plants on the narrow trail I was on. This year I also picked up quite a few walking on a wider trail, but just a few grass blades is all it takes. Luckily my clothes were treated with permethrin and they were all dead before they had a chance to bite me.:v:

 

[maxwellandson]

http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/arthopo/chiggers/

 

[amf]

...Does anyone know how far north these chiggers are found usually?

Dave

I have encountered them as far north as the New Paltz area in the Hudson River valley but not beyond, and certainly nowhere near as pernicious as they can be down this way. Oddly, I have never suffered from them in West Virginia but had one of the worst infestations in Missouri! Always in a grassy / shrubby habitat with dry, sandy soils.

amf