How to use chigger repellents to get rid of chiggers from your property

Chiggers can be often found on weeds and tall grass, and in dense foliage, barks and leaves and also on straw and fences. Spring to fall during the warm season marks their most active period. This is why you should always keep a chigger repellent handy.

How to Get Rid of Chiggers

Having your garden well weeded and grass trimmed in addition to all shrubs and bushes that are not a part of your landscape, removed help in controlling and eradicating this pest. Keep your garden free of fallen leaves and decaying plant matter since it is a good breeding ground for the chiggers. Wash all the remaining foliage free of adult chiggers and larvae with a flood of warm water and soap – a good chigger repellent. Due to the possibility of new larvae hatching, repeat this washing process weekly for another month to ensure the elimination of a major portion of the chigger population.

Chigger repellents

If the infestation spreads to your house plants too, take them out pen and wash them thoroughly by soaking with a safe detergent soap for house plants and vegetables. Repeat this soaking process weekly for another four weeks until all the adult larvae chiggers are killed. During this period of treatment, have the plants away from contact with people and pets.

Prevention and Treatment of Chiggers

The main solution in the case of infestation of people and pets is to wash them and also the clothes thoroughly with water with a light and safe detergent. If clothes are also not washed at the same time, larvae as well as adult chiggers still clinging on to the clothes could once again come in contact with skin and also with the houseplants.

Exercise sufficient care when moving through a highly infested area by avoiding dense foliage areas and sitting on the grass, apart from using a chigger repellent.

Protective Clothing as Chigger Repellent

Don’t expose your skin for any chiggers to cling on to. Ensure that the clothes provide you with adequate protection by having no areas bared to the elements. You could ensure maximum protection to your body from chiggers by wearing the socks and the shirt pulled over your pants; and don’t wear shoes with any ventilation holes. Immediately on return, get your clothes bathed and washed at the highest possible temperature subject to the safety limits for the particular type of cloth.

Use Sulfur Powder as Chigger Repellent

Apply some sulfur ponder obtainable from any local drugstore with a powder puff inside and outside your clothes before venturing out into suspected chigger infested territory.

Insect Repellents

Chiggers can be effectively repelled with insect repellents containing Dethyl-m-toluamide (DEET).

Chigger Repellent Products with a Citronella Oil Base

Citronella Oil extracted from citronella grass is used as an effective chigger repellent and can be used for repelling mosquitoes as well although it is better known as an agent used in perfumes, soaps and insect sprays.

Removing Chigger

The importance of washing yourself thoroughly with soap and warm water while washing your clothes with detergent mixed water at the highest possible temperature in the case of a chigger infestation was emphasized above. When washing, pay special attention to warm moist areas such as arm pits, between toes, neck, anus, groin and the inner side of the knee by using an exfoliating pad.

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