Thermacell and Chiggers???

[Doc Nock]

You boys and girls familiar with chiggers--- do thermacells work?

Any repellant's work?

I didn't think Penna had chiggers, but... we were out of a friends acreage he has for hunting and cutting brush, and chainsawing down ilanthis trees Sat for 10 hrs and we both ended up with fiery red welts that itch worse than any skeeter bite...I'd even sprayed my pants and ankles with permanone in the AM before we started...

If these are chiggers, is there a "cure" and I'd be interested what works best to keep them off in the first place.  

How do you guys hunt where they are! Gads!  

[fatman]

Chiggerex treatment helps, but once you've been bitten the damage has been done;  them's nasty little beggars....

I normally spray every article of clothing, including socks and underwear with Permanone, and pay special attention to waistbands.  It's still not 100% chigger-proof, but it sure helps.  Cuts down on ticks as well....

I have heard of people taking a bath in hot water with a little bleach in it when they get back...never tried it myself, but they say they can see the chiggers "jumping ship"....

Good luck!

[madness522]

Permanone is the best defense even though a chigger or two will still get thru.  As far as help now clear finger nail polish will help with the itch as much or more than anything I have ever tried.  The chiggers are long gone by the time you start itching but sealing them up with the nail polish prevents air and your clothing from rubbing them and making the itch worse.

[hawksnest]

Dave,Just pick up a small bottle of clear "hard nails"  clear nail polish, and put a coat or two on the red spots.  It cuts off their air supply, and in a day they stop itching.  Yes, we have them in lots of areas in PA.  Bill G.

[Lost Arra]

100% Deet around waist band, ankles + Permanone as prevention

If you're afraid of Deet, plan on scratchin' for a while. I love my thermacell for mosquitos and other flying bugs but chiggers will laugh at it.    :D

[Tom Anderson]

Dave,
There's a sure-fire treatment for chiggers in the groin area.  I dont' share with everyone, but here goes:
First, you need to get some Ronsonol lighter fluid. Then, you must shave all the hair off one side of your crotch and douse the remaining hair liberally with the lighter fluid.  Next, set fire to the soaked hair and stab the critters with an ice pick as they run out of the forest to escape the flames.  Yes, it does hurt, particularly the ice pick, but it's not as bad as 2 weeks of itching.  

[indianalongbowshooter]

Now thats funny  

[WildmanSC]

Doc,

The only solution I've found that works 100% is don't go into the woods or fields until after you have at least one heavy frost.  If it doesn't frost where you live, be prepared to suffer.  The tiny red chigger is all mouth!!!  At least that has been my experience!!                :mad:  

Bill

[Doc Nock]

You guys crack me up!!! but also good information.

I have the "bites" (whatever they are) bad...all around the top where my high top shoes were...and up the legs of both legs to the knees.

I did spray permanone when I got there but it was not a real "dampening" since I was wearing the gear already... never thought there'd be chiggers and a light application has disuaded ticks w/ permanone for me for years!

I did some searches ...yup,, chiggers is gone but the spit is what's raising cane... and they, as someone above said, recommend the nail polish to reduce the itching. I've done benadryl gel so far and it's only good for 2 hrs.

Tom, ya onery buggar!     I remember that "treatment" for crotch crickets, but never redbugs!   :D  

My "system" has worked well for ticks and skeeters over the years...never knew we had these red devils!

Thanks for the iput on the Thermacell not working... not sure why the permanone didn't do more...likly wasn't enough when I started and we sweat like banshees out there for 10 hrs.

From the reading I did today, we were neck deep in where they like to be! Great news is that they stopped mostly at knees and a few mid thigh.. Wow. You guys where they're plentiful have my admiration!

Wildman, your description of a chigger sounds a lot like my Ex!  

[bloodyarrow]

WE have chiggers bad here in okla. And if can get it the best i've found is sulfer powder.

[Roger Moerke]

I second the sulfer powder put in your socks and pants leg cuffs. They do not like sulfer!!
But once you got the infestation its just plain miserable.
I lived in MO. and they have plenty of all the nastys.
The worst I have gotten was in southern TX got a dose of every biting bug known to man.

[Eric Krewson]

Spray all your clothes with permanone the night before you plane to got to the woods. Pay particular attention to spraying the inside of socks, cuffs of pants, shirts, waste bands, necks and lower inside portion of your shirt, then mist the outside of all your clothing. Doesn't take a bunch of spray and wetting is not necessary.

Spray permanone on yourself and you might produce two headed kids somewhere down the road. Always let it dry on your clothes before you wear them as it is absorbed through the skin.

We had a bad ice storm here in N Alabama about 20 years ago. On our lease we had as many as 75 pines down across the road in a 100yds, we leased 4000 acres. I cleared roads by myself for 6 months during one summer with a chainsaw, probably cleaned up about five miles worth.

 I treated my clothes with permanone thoroughly every evening before I planned to cut the next day. I picked up one tick in 6 months and no chiggers that I remember. Use the stuff correctly and it is amazing.

[snakewood3]

I second Eric's advice. Preparation H is the best treatment if you do get bites.

[BenBow]

There was a thread on this in early 07 and shawnee said to use a plain white stick deoderant on the bites and it stopped the itch right away and lasted a while too.
I have rarely had chiggers but I remember it well enough that I saved a copy of that thread, which isn't here anymore.

[Gary Logsdon]

I believe the original "Permanone" (permethrin)was developed in my part of the country for use by workers in TVA's Land Between the Lakes where a horrible seed tick (Lone Star tick)problem exists through the summer months until killing frost.  IT WORKS, but is a neurotoxin and also reportedly causes lung and liver tumors in animals. SO, if you use it make sure you pre-spray your garments in a well ventilated area and allow them to dry over night before using.  The clothes will protect you from tick and chiggers for days if you keep them dry and store in sealed bags between wearing.  Lots of guys swear by it here.

[jhansen]

The changing climate has everything moving further north.  Fire ants are a good example.  They seem to be showing up further north every year.  We now have parrot colonies here in central Texas.  We have had chiggers here as long as I remember.  I learned as a kid to dust my legs and pants with sulphur powder.  Worked like a charm.  Later on I added blousing my pants into the tops of lace-up boots as an added precaution.  Just like many other things the best treatment is to not get bitten in the first place but if you do I've found that the nail polish works as good as anything.

John

[Clay Hills Bill]

Doc,

Once you have the bites, my favorite treatment is to take McCormicks Unflavored Meat Tenderizer( it comes as white powder in a plastic spice bottle), take a teaspoon of it and mix it in 1 oz of water. Use cotton balls and swab it on the bites liberally.  There is an enzyme in it that gives you almost instant relief. Do it a couple of times then repeat if they itch again.  My Pharmacist put us on to that and it is the best relief that I have found.  We get into those little suckers down here in GA even with DEET and othe precautions.

Bill

[eaglefeather]

Hey doc, go to cvs and get a little white plastic jar of chiggerx.a white cream,take a hot shower and rub the cream over the areas.      

[Doc Nock]

Lots more good advice! Thanks!!!

I'd read about Meat Tenderizer before...but never tried it for skeeter and even bee stings... might have to try it and some other.

I didn't have any fingernail polish around the ole bachelor pad, so I used some fly tying head cement! Same thing I think!  

I swear by permanone and glad to see you all think it works. I just didn't take enough time to use it right... and as some shared, yes, it has to dry to not be absorbed and it's bad juju if it gets in you... (permanon) so I just sprayed around the cuffs and stuff lightly.

Next time, I'll know better! ChiggeRX is likely the same basic compound a meat tenderizer!  :D  

I'm not dead certain its what I got all over me, cause the websites show some pustule looking thing almost like impantago or something... :(  but these bites are different that skeeters and such... they're deep red, to purplish welts... some are the size of a freakin dime! Just the itch like fire part is what makes me think its something way different and how they're clustered around the tops of where my shoes were on ankles and at knees where the pants were tighter...

Where we were cutting was along a "boggy" area and in briars up to our heads, chopping them with chainsaws and then cutting down the trees.

It was still fun...but danged if I'm not going to prepare like going to war next time!

Thanks for all the ideas on treatment, learning the Thermacell doesn't affect them, and that permanone is good, if used diligently.  I was losing faith there for a moment!  

[Mr.Magoo]

I don't think anything work for chigger bites except scratching.  Tuck your trouser legs into your boots and use DEET around your boots and waistband to help eliminate bites.

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