Oh my god I cannot stand chiggers, I am getting itchy just thinking about the nasty little things.
Right, first and foremost before we start spraying stuff on the lawn, make sure it’s cut right back as chiggers (also known as harvest mites and red mites) thrive in long grass and weeds so get the fly-mo out and chop away. Tackling their preferred environment is the most effective and thorough way to eliminate the problem. Chiggers rarely subsist in areas that are well groomed and any product will have to be reapplied affecting your pocket and the potential health of your lawn.
So the cheapest way is also the most effective. After cutting the lawn and surrounding dense vegetation right back, rinse the area with soapy water. Repeat this cut and rinse process every week for a month. A lot of work but it’s the best way to challenge the chiggers. I have to tell you though, as they’re outside critters there’s no guaranteed remedy.
You’re tackling this at just the right time as chiggers are most common in summer and fall (when the ground temperature is between 77 and 86 degrees F) and it’s all about prevention rather than cure.
If you must use insecticide select ones that contain either chlorpyrifos or diazinon as these chemicals are highly effective at eliminating chiggers. These can easily be obtained online.
Or you could liberally spray sulphur around your yard, but that would defiantly kill any BBQ plans as well as chiggers as sulphur is incredibly stinky. If you’ve already got chiggers biting in your yard, ensure that all clothes are washed at high temperatures and you take lots of hot showers. Applying bug spray containing DEET to skin and clothing can help prevent chigger bites.
And if you do get bitten then whip out the antihistamines and corticosteroid creams to relieve the itching.
Right, first and foremost before we start spraying stuff on the lawn, make sure it’s cut right back as chiggers (also known as harvest mites and red mites) thrive in long grass and weeds so get the fly-mo out and chop away. Tackling their preferred environment is the most effective and thorough way to eliminate the problem. Chiggers rarely subsist in areas that are well groomed and any product will have to be reapplied affecting your pocket and the potential health of your lawn.
So the cheapest way is also the most effective. After cutting the lawn and surrounding dense vegetation right back, rinse the area with soapy water. Repeat this cut and rinse process every week for a month. A lot of work but it’s the best way to challenge the chiggers. I have to tell you though, as they’re outside critters there’s no guaranteed remedy.
You’re tackling this at just the right time as chiggers are most common in summer and fall (when the ground temperature is between 77 and 86 degrees F) and it’s all about prevention rather than cure.
If you must use insecticide select ones that contain either chlorpyrifos or diazinon as these chemicals are highly effective at eliminating chiggers. These can easily be obtained online.
Or you could liberally spray sulphur around your yard, but that would defiantly kill any BBQ plans as well as chiggers as sulphur is incredibly stinky. If you’ve already got chiggers biting in your yard, ensure that all clothes are washed at high temperatures and you take lots of hot showers. Applying bug spray containing DEET to skin and clothing can help prevent chigger bites.
And if you do get bitten then whip out the antihistamines and corticosteroid creams to relieve the itching.
