We frequently encounter two hazards while visiting Die Manchmal Gruene Weide, thorns, and chiggers. Thorns I deal with with gloves and loppers. But during the spring, especially a wet spring, chiggers become a painful reminder that all is not perfect in paradise. What I observed is that two days after a visit to Die Weide, the area around my ankles where my socks reside became filled with small red itchy bumps. The itch is intense and after scratching the bumps open up into open red welts that scab over and ITCH EVEN MORE! Chiggers should reside in a deeper hell than even mosquitoes because the latter don't impact such a large area and don't itch so intensely.
So, I did some research, one link of which is here:
Chigger Link. First, I wish to squash an old wives tale that is patently false and non-productive for treatment. Chiggers don't burrow under your skin thus the myth of covering a chigger site with fingernail polish, etc. does nothing to stop the itch. The crude reality is that these tiny beasts sit right up top and chew away at your skin, slobbering spit that softens their skin meal as they chew away. They prefer tight areas like under socks or at the belt line if you happen to put your belt line at the grass level (like when picking berries.)
The best thing to do is prevent them in the first place. What I have found effective (through research and experimentation) is to put my pants inside my socks (which looks goofy as hell) and spray the entire area with a DEET based insect repellant (which stinks). But I'd rather be a stinky goofball than suffer the misery of chigger bites. Also, as soon as you get home from a trip afield where chiggers may reside, take a shower, or at the very least wash your legs thoroughly to get the chiggers off. They wash off quite easily, but they'll keep chewing for as long as you leave them hanging around. (Up to three days!)
Unfortunately, I don't always follow my own prescription for prevention, but all is not lost. After reading what occurs with chigger bites, I decided this year to attempt a treatment that matches the description. Basically, chiggers chew 'pon your skin, making lots o' holes and slobbering away in them. Although I didn't find a confirmation in my research I have to speculate that the slobber contains something which aggravates the itch because I've had plenty of holes in my skin (thorns!) that didn't itch like chigger chew chunks. The problem with holes is that they become infected, and moreso as you helplessly scratch away at the itchy scabs. I have had chigger scabs that lasted, literally, weeks from onset of a heavy chigger assult. So after reading about, 1) itch, and 2) infection, I decided to try an experiment - apply the anti-itch, anti-septic ointment, Lanacane on my next chigger assult site.
Two weeks ago, I got to apply my theory in spades. By Tuesday Morning after our (unprotected) berry picking Die Weide visit my ankles were covered with the painful red sores indicating my encounter with chiggers. (There is always a one to two day delay from the attack to the itch onset.) Time to experiment. I covered the entire area with a light coating of Lanacane, which immediately provided blissful itch relief! Every morning and evening for three days I re-applied the Lanacane to the sores and by the fourth day, there remained only the slightest hint of red marks that didn't itch and by day six I had normal looking ankles.
Compared to the weeks long itchy, scaby mess left by not treating chiggers, a three day dose of Lanacane resulted in a quick healing, painless process that I will quickly replicate the next time I get an attack of the chiggers.
(Disclamer - I am not a medical professional, or entemologist. This article consists purely of personal observation and any attempt to follow my methods is your choice with no guarantee of similar results.)
