Ticks & Chiggers--a study

[Teegate]

I was out on Saturday and ran into a marble size ball of what I always call chiggers. I used Jessica's lint roller to catch a few and took them to work to examine them under my microscope. And the evidence is clear and Bob is correct that they are ticks. Jessica checked online and found a good photo of a chigger and I can bet that most of us have never had chiggers, we have had ticks.

 

[Boyd]

Whatever they are, I got a bunch of bites on my ankles and I have no idea how, have been staying on the trials and just treated my socks with permethrin the day before.

 

[manumuskin]

Peremethrin immune tick larvae? Now what?

 

[Boyd]

I've never found permethrin effective against "chiggers". But stil trying to understand this... I assume these "nymphs" are some other kind of tick, and not just babies of the regular ticks that we get in the pines? Why do they come late in the season instead of May or June? And why doesn't permethrin seem to work, while it is so effective against full-sized ticks?

 

[manumuskin]

I"ve always found peremethrin effective against tick larvae/chiggers but only when fresh.The claim is you can wash your clothes and it's still effective for two weeks.I have found this to be false.If you wash your clothes then reapply. I have never gotten them with fresh applied peremthrin on my clothes.I am good for skimping though and only spraying socks and pants to the knees and I have sometimes gotten them on my arms and nec where they have landed above the chemical and climbed up

 

[46er]

And why doesn't permethrin seem to work, while it is so effective against full-sized ticks?

It is indicated for use against chiggers. Perhaps they are neither?

From Sawyers web site;

For use on clothing, tents, sleeping bags, and other outdoor gear, Sawyer Permethrin is more than just an insect repellent — it actually kills ticks, mosquitoes, spiders, chiggers, mites, and more than 55 other kinds of insects. Permethrin is also effective against the Yellow Fever Mosquito, which can transmit the Zika Virus.

 

[46er]

I am good for skimping though and only spraying socks and pants to the knees

I am cheep too and do the same thing

 

[Jon Holcombe]

I"ve always found peremethrin effective against tick larvae/chiggers but only when fresh.The claim is you can wash your clothes and it's still effective for two weeks.I have found this to be false.If you wash your clothes then reapply. I have never gotten them with fresh applied peremthrin on my clothes.I am good for skimping though and only spraying socks and pants to the knees and I have sometimes gotten them on my arms and nec where they have landed above the chemical and climbed up

JT Eaton has the same percentage of permethrin as sawyer, water based, has the same clothing spray instructions as sawyer, but is sold by the gallon and has a much better sprayer and is far cheaper.

https://www.amazon.com/Eaton-209-W1...d=1534958065&sr=8-1&keywords=jt+eaton+209-w1g

 

[Boyd]

Yeah, I literally just treated my pants and socks less than 24 hours earlier, and had only worn them for perhaps two hours. However, there is another possibility. I've gotten chiggers (sorry, I'm gonna keep calling them that, just like Lebanon instead of Byrne) just walking 20 feet across my driveway from the porch to the car. I think you only have to brush up against one big blade of grass to get chigged. So maybe that's how I got bitten, since I only wear treated clothes when going out in the woods.

 

[bobpbx]

And even though the word is now, at least in most cases, incorrect, I will still use the word "chigged" for an attack. I love that word.

 

[manumuskin]

I still call it Lebanon as well
My theory is that your more likely to get chigged where ever warm blooded animals walk.Primarily deer.So this is why they are often picked up in roads.Deer walk these same as we do.You need grass or something growing in the road for the chigs to climb.They climb and wait very patiently for the scent of carbon dioxide or whatever it is they smell us by and/or air currents which their very sensitive to.They feel the air move as you approach and then they reach out(I"ve seen grown ticks do this when I put my hand close to them) and grasp you as you pass by.So old roads and animal trails are high risk areas to get chigged.Boyd if your getting chigged in your driveway perhaps deer are walking it if you have a long drive through the woods say? Or if their eating plants growing in your yard.The chigs can drop off anywhere but where do animals spend much of their time? bedding area,feeding areas and travelling to and fro .We Frequent the same roads they do and thats why we get loaded on old roads full of chigger grass (I persist with chigger as well)

 

[manumuskin]

PS as far as I"m concerned it's still Glassboro State college as well.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I've never found permethrin effective against "chiggers". But stil trying to understand this... I assume these "nymphs" are some other kind of tick, and not just babies of the regular ticks that we get in the pines? Why do they come late in the season instead of May or June? And why doesn't permethrin seem to work, while it is so effective against full-sized ticks?

They're probably larvae from lone star ticks. The larvae show up in huge numbers right about now because adults emerge in the spring, find a host, feed and drop off, and lay eggs in huge masses, and then the egg masses hatch into giant balls of evil, all of this takes a couple months. Now is the time of year the larvae seek a host, feed and become nymphs, that's generally how they overwinter.

As for the permethrin, I can't answer that! I am actually not sure if larvae specifically are less susceptible than adult ticks. Kind of a good question that I should actually know the answer to and will look into.

If you (or anyone else) want to send some to me, I'd be happy to ID them.

 

[manumuskin]

I forgot to mention the engorged adult ticks fall off on the trail and lay their eggs wherever they land.The the eggs hatch and the chigs crawl up whatever they find to get a place to wait for something to walk by

 

[46er]

If you (or anyone else) want to send some to me, I'd be happy to ID them.

That might be considered a terrorist act

 

[Boyd]

Boyd if your getting chigged in your driveway perhaps deer are walking it if you have a long drive through the woods say?

My driveway is an "off-road adventure". Yeah, I live back in the woods. Deer are everywhere. It's just one of the prices you pay to live in a place like this, and I have always accepted it. I would move to an apartment in the city if it really bothered me. Nevertheless, I try to minimize my chigger exposure if possible.

 

[manumuskin]

That might be considered a terrorist act

Yes, a dirty bomb full of tick larvae.It wouldn't kill us but insane people can't fight very effectively.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I promise, it's perfectly kosher in North America.

There is a website that's operated by Oklahoma State University called showusyourticks.org, check it out. You can send any ticks you find on a dog or cat to them for ID, gratis.

Plus whoever named that website is a genius (actually I know her, and she is a genius).

 

[Teegate]

I took the lint roller in again today and cranked that microscope all the way up. Another employee and I looked them over closely. They look exactly like a tick.They have six legs, antenna, and the mouth of a tick. He checked on his phone and it said they do have 6 legs early on. So I am assuming as they get bigger they grow two more???????????? It would be interesting to know what goes on there.

We have inspection equipment at work that will print out the view but I doubt those individuals will want to look at ticks. Not tick kind of people.

 

[46er]