Possible chigger bite remedy

[Steve Brown]

I think that what you describe could be a tick bite too. Some people will even have a similar reaction to mosquito bites. With me, I never see just one isolated chigger bite, there are always several of them grouped together and they tend to be in places where your clothes fit tightly, like the waistband of your underwear or under your socks. I've gotten chigger bites on my wrists when pulling up weeds next to my sidewalk however (which was pretty stupid). But again, there was a whole group of them and not just isolated bites.

The ticks have been out for quite some time around my place, in a variety of sizes. A week or two ago, there was a little nymph crawling on my hand. It was really tiny and was easily brushed off. I was thinking that it probably wasn't big enough to actually attach itself.

46er: I have read about that same test for chiggers myself and always meant to try it. Have you tried it?

That's what I have, a cluster of welts.

 

[manumuskin]

I would tend to agree with Guy that it is way too early for chiggers.I personally have never gotten them before late august but hey! maybe I have just been lucky.The beasts are pretty bad around here too.In season you literally cannot step off a sand road without getting them and if you value your life do not walk down an old grassy woods roads without Peremethrin or you may not get out.

 

[manumuskin]

Steve where are you from? Boyd says were neighbors.I'm in Laurel lake just south of Millville.

 

[manumuskin]

I live at Laurel Lake, in the woods of Cumberland County, and after mowing my lawn for the first time this year, which included picking up a lot of brush near wooded areas while wearing shorts, have several red welts on my left leg, presumably from chiggers. I showered afterwards, and the welts began to appear the next day.

The remedy I use to relieve itching and to promote healing is NAC (n-acetylcysteine), available in capsules as a nutritional supplement. NAC is used as an antidote to various toxins, such as acetaldehyde (a hangover-causing metabolite of alcohol), methyl mercury, and to treat acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose, so my idea is that it may be effective at neutralizing or detoxifying the digestive enzyme that the chigger secretes into the skin. In the body, NAC is a precursor to glutathione, an important cellular antioxidant, and that may also detoxify the chigger enzyme.

I take a capsule of NAC internally, and also open a capsule, mix the contents with a little water, and rub it onto the welts to relieve the itching. The grainy texture of the NAC powder provides an abrasive action that is similar to but more gentle than scratching, and the rubbing tends to work a small amount of NAC into the skin. This provides some relief and seems to promote healing. I also take vitamin C internally to detoxify and to promote healing of the skin.

So, if any other of you Pineys try this remedy for chigger bites, I would be interested to know the results.

ahh I should have started at the beginning!
I'm also in laurel lake on the commercial twp side.yes this is chigger city!

 

[Teegate]

Tell that to the chiggers and the ticks.

Ticks yes, chiggers no. It is way too early for them.

 

[woodjin]

"To sample your yard for chiggers, you'll need one or more squares of black cardboard, each about 6 inches by 6 inches. Stand the cardboard squares on edge in areas where you suspect chiggers may be. Leave the squares in place for several minutes.

Look closely at the cardboard once you've left it for a few minutes. If chiggers are present, they will climb up the cardboard and gather near the top. The chiggers will be tiny, and either red or yellow in color." - about.com

Don't bother on mowed grass, or in sunny areas.

yes, but keep in mind that the chiggers you are seeing are adults and are harmless. It doesn't mean there are presently any biting new borns. It does mean that there will be at some point.

I agree that it is probably too early for chiggers. I have mistaken nymph tick bites for chiggers in the past. they come in clusters and don't/can't hold on.

Jeff