Chiggers! Yes, it’s that time of year again. Here in Texas, they’ve been swarming and have been staying for a while. Within a day or so, I’m covered in chigger bites…and they itch like crazy! At this time of year, a lot of questions about how to get rid of chiggers come to mind! Luckily, I know the answers.
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How To Get Rid Of Chiggers: Natural Methods That Help
1. Keep Your Lawn Mowed
Chiggers love to hang out in tall grass and weeds. Keeping your lawn mowed as short as you can will help prevent chigger infestations.
2. Plant Marigolds
Some swear by this method! Apparently, chiggers do not like marigolds, so plant some around your home. Not only will you repel chiggers, but your flower garden will also be extra beautiful.
3. Diatomaceous Earth
For this method, use only food-grade DE only for your clothes and lawn. Chiggers hate this stuff! Before leaving the house, dust a little food-grade DE on the bottom of your pants (about 6 inches upward), your socks around ankles, and your shirt sleeves.
For your lawn, sprinkle food grade DE to repel chiggers. The rule of thumb for this method is 5 pounds per 1000 square feet.
4. Panty Hose
Wear pantyhose underneath your pants. This is a popular method due to the fact that chiggers can’t bite through this kind of material.
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5. Sulfur
Using sulfur to repel chiggers is a well known and very effective repellent.
- Sulfur Powder – Dust your clothes and shoes with sulfur powder before heading outside.
- Sulfur Pellets – You can also spread sulfur pellets around your lawn to repel chiggers. The suggestion for this method is to do so before it becomes extremely hot out. However, this method is not recommended if you have pets.
- Sulfur Supplements – My mom swears by this method! My great grandmother used to give my mom sulfur tablets and the bugs really stayed away.
Before taking any sulfur supplements, please consult with your primary care physician if you have any known medical conditions, if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you are taking any prescription medications. Understanding how to get rid of chiggers means finding a solution that fits with your medical needs!
6. Vinegar
Spray your clothes with white distilled vinegar before heading outdoors. Some people do this and never turn back to any other method!
7. Garlic
Eat a single clove of garlic daily to repel chiggers. Garlic is a great mosquito repellent as well.
8. Hit The Shower
Every single time I spend any time outdoors, I head straight for the shower after I come back inside. It takes time for chiggers to pierce the skin, so the sooner you can take a hot shower, the better! I also recommend using antibacterial soap.
9. DIY Chigger Repellent
Here is a great chigger repellent recipe using essential oils:
- 2 teaspoons of witch hazel
- 4 tablespoons of water
- 5 drops of essential oil (lavender, tea tree, thyme, or lemongrass will work)
Mix well and spray directly onto your skin.
Watch this video from National Geographic so you’ll know what to do when a chigger infestation runs over your garden:
If you are currently suffering from chigger bites, there are home remedies you can make to soothe your skin. These are ways to help get rid of pests.
Do any natural answers to how to get rid of chiggers? Share with us in the comment section below.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on September 4, 2017, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
When you have been bitten. Wash the area with soap and water and apply GRAIN alcohol to the bites. Rubbing alcohol does NOT work the same (for me anyway) This was prescribed to me by an old country Doctor 60 years ago.
Then wash your clothes. Placing them in the dryer. That will kill them for certain.
I read that the adults bite, causing the enzymes to form. But then they lay eggs in the area, the eggs hatch, and the babies then eat the skin affected by the enzymes. That is why they last so long. I have to believe this one because the bites are spreading, and always at least 3 bites form around the original, meaning the babies have turned into adults and the cycle is spreading. Right now I have over 34 bites, which started out as much less. I have NOT been in the yard but one time, when it started. So, this is the only explanation. The problem is, there seems to be no way I can kill these bugs. I have been affected for over 10 days now, and it has only gotten worse. I wake up daily with more bites. I have tried every different way to kill them, but nothing has worked. We don’t have grain alcohol and I don’t think you can buy it any more. Any suggestions would be appreciated. (I am very sensitive to chemicals, so must be careful.)
Just be aware we have washed all clothing, sheets, blankets, , etc., and vacuumed everywhere, just to make sure they can’t be in the bedroom itself. So my main question is, how do you finally get rid of these insects, once they have seemed to become infested?
I would love to know how to get rid of these pesky bugs too! Since December 2019 and its now June 2020 and I get bites regularly. During that time I have had over 100 bites. I have followed every recommendation except grain alcohol. HELP!
85 years old Navy Vet and never seen a chigger before. I called the Vet and they gave me two tube’s of cream, one being;Triamcinolone .0.025% and another called Permethrin cream 5% and then there are my own concoctions that I am experimenting with. I am using DMSO and combining it with Iodine. I just combined the Iodine with “natures best” flea and tick spray so will see how that will work, so far no pain or itch. I have picked a few; eggs or larvae out to see what they look like. Black specks some tiny and some larger ones down in the center of the pimple like wound, expect blood. I am making a hot tub out of a 50 gal plastic barrel that I can sit in up to my neck and It will be heated with a stock tank submersible120V heater. I always wanted on of them anyway.
Try coating the bites with clear nail polish.
Young Living Purification essential oil blend takes the itch away. My husband gets bitten every year when he picks our blueberries. This is the only thing that takes care of the itch.