For the love of God, what's your chigger remedy???

[Wingshooter]

Stupid me... about every 5-7 years I forget what it's like to wade through a patch of weeds where these demon bugs lust for my flesh, and I got slack on spraying with Deet. I hate them! I itch bad. They even crept into my nether regions. Curse them. What's your favorite way to soothe the fire? Soak in some bleach, gasoline, paint thinner? I'll try anything...

Seriously, what works for you? Sarna lotion and ChiggAway isn't cutting it right now.

 

 

[Smokin45]

Try tooth paste it works on a lot of insect bites.

[Murgatroy]

Fingernail polish. Clear, put it over the bites. It has been a long while since I have been afflicted, but I do recall that remedy.

[xsubsailor]

Bleach, gasoline, paint thinner.................nether regions....you're more of a man then me 

[gregintenn]

If it's bad enough, a visit to the doctor for a steroid shot will relieve the misery. Otherwise, scratch the tops off the bites you can, and tough the rest out.

[Wingshooter]

Woke up with a little relief this morning, although wearing a few little dots of nail polish and toothpaste (thanks guys ). I tried a little here and there to see if it made any difference. It did for about 10 mins, then right back to the itch.

The thing that seemed to help the most was to run a hot bath and mix about a cup of bleach, and then I just sat in it. Most of the bumps are on my legs, so I didn't have to get too deep in it. Then I took a shower to rinse off. It seemed to dry the bumps a little and slow down the itch. My wife also gave me some Tea Tree oil to try on them. This seemed to help the most. I woke up about 4 times through the night to re-apply, but it helped. 

@gregintenn the ones where I scratched the tops off are doing better than the others. 

 

Misery!!!

[Wingshooter]

37 minutes ago, xsubsailor said:

Bleach, gasoline, paint thinner.................nether regions....you're more of a man then me 

The gasoline and paint thinner was a joke, but the bleach I tried 

[KahrMan]

Go to the doctor. I got bad on my ankles opening weekend of bow season last year. After two sleepless nights I went to doc. The otc medications just were not cutting it. She gave me a prescription cream that flat stopped the itching. Also gave me a pill to take at night to help with itching so I could sleep. Best decision I made was going to see the doc. 

 

I HATE CHIGGERS!!

[peejman]

Time. 

Thats about the only thing I know of that works. 

[gregintenn]

I have scratched them with a wire brush until they bled. Not pleasant, but will stop the itching.

[bersaguy]

It's been years since I dealt with the Critters From Hell but I found that the spray on Benedryl worked pretty well for me and I kept several bottles of it on hand just in case plus a bottle of the tablets............JMHO

[mikegideon]

Cortisone 10. Get a big tube. I got a bad case once standing at the Base of an AM tower for 10 hours. I did quite a bit of reading. Fingernail polish is a wives tale. They are mite larvae (little worms), and tunnel into your skin with their digestive juices. The itching is actually pain. Killing them does no good. Soap and water does that. It's actually a nasty little wound that can take up to six weeks to heal.

Greg said it right. Steroid shot. I just used the OTC Cortizone and got by. ALWAYS take a shower after you leave chigger habtat. They do a lot of their damage after, especially if you just go home and fall in the bed.

 

[Wingshooter]

All good advice, thanks. I think I will go to the doc and try to get quicker relief. Maybe stop and pickup some Cortizone10 until I can get there.

I came home and took a shower right away, but I guess the damage was done. I actually noticed them first when I got back in the truck. Looked like pepper on my leg they were so thick. My own fault for entering the TN woods this time of year without a proper application of deet. The itching is better where I scratched them till they bled, but I've got them from my toes to my armpits (and EVERYWHERE in between )

Devil bugs!

[gregintenn]

4 hours ago, Wingshooter said:

All good advice, thanks. I think I will go to the doc and try to get quicker relief. Maybe stop and pickup some Cortizone10 until I can get there.

I came home and took a shower right away, but I guess the damage was done. I actually noticed them first when I got back in the truck. Looked like pepper on my leg they were so thick. My own fault for entering the TN woods this time of year without a proper application of deet. The itching is better where I scratched them till they bled, but I've got them from my toes to my armpits (and EVERYWHERE in between )

Devil bugs!

If you could see em, they ain't chiggers; they're deer ticks!

[Wingshooter]

24 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

If you could see em, they ain't chiggers; they're deer ticks!

Super tiny and red. Couldn't really see individual ones but like a cloud of multiples... nearly microscopic bug. Didn't see any "attached" afterwards like a tick. Hope they weren't little ticks! 

Doctor hooked me up with some meds! Steriod and 2 cremes. Feels much better already. Still a little itch but not miserable like before

[gregintenn]

I stand corrected. I guess you can see better than me. Sometimes a doc is the answer. I'm usually too hard headed.

[Shorty]

That's chiggers.  They don't attach like a tick.  Think more like a spider.  They bite, inject digestive juices and drink it up.

[Wheelgunner]

1.  Shower.

2. Don't scratch.

3. Take 2 Benadryl pills.

4. Super tight clothing on the chigger-bitten area.  For lower legs and feet, tall dress socks work well.

5. Benadryl pills in the evening every day thereafter until bites are gone.

 

For me, the itch becomes WAY worse once I scratch the bites.  If I recognize that it's chiggers before I really start scratching, then the steps above are enough to control it.

[Jeb48]

So fingernail polish doesn't work? Was told by my grandfather that the fingernail polish cause them to suffocate. My grandmother used it on me when I was about 12 after a fishing trip with my grandpa and I remember it working. Must have been psychological. 

[Wingshooter]

2 hours ago, gregintenn said:

I stand corrected. I guess you can see better than me. Sometimes a doc is the answer. I'm usually too hard headed.

I'm sure it's possible that the little bugs I saw were not necessarily the bugs that feasted on me. The bites are definately chigger bites though. Wow, they tore me up! I'm pretty sure I know the stretch of weeds on my land that may be their infestation. I may have to trim those weeds with one of these puppies: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lincoln-Electric-Inferno-Propane-Torch-Kit-KH825-01/100341111 

 

 

[Wingshooter]

14 hours ago, Wheelgunner said:

1.  Shower.

2. Don't scratch.

3. Take 2 Benadryl pills.

4. Super tight clothing on the chigger-bitten area.  For lower legs and feet, tall dress socks work well.

5. Benadryl pills in the evening every day thereafter until bites are gone.

 

For me, the itch becomes WAY worse once I scratch the bites.  If I recognize that it's chiggers before I really start scratching, then the steps above are enough to control it.

Yes, once I start scratching I can't stop. Then it's worse. I was tempted to go for the wire brush at one point like @gregintenn mentioned above. I'll try the tight clothing.

Edited September 18, 2017 by Wingshooter

[Wingshooter]

40 minutes ago, Jeb48 said:

So fingernail polish doesn't work? Was told by my grandfather that the fingernail polish cause them to suffocate. My grandmother used it on me when I was about 12 after a fishing trip with my grandpa and I remember it working. Must have been psychological. 

Felt good for a few minutes then nothing. I just tried it on one ankle. It probably protected it from my scratching fingers a little though. After some reading, I learned that they don't bury in the skin like people used to think. Just bite and move on like @Shorty said.

The good news is the prescription cream is great! Slight itching, but I can at least go to work with it now without diggin' at my legs and worse all day 

Edited September 18, 2017 by Wingshooter

[Oh Shoot]

43 minutes ago, Jeb48 said:

So fingernail polish doesn't work? Was told by my grandfather that the fingernail polish cause them to suffocate....

There's nothing in there to suffocate. Contrary to common belief, the chiggers don't burrow into you, nor do they lay eggs in you either.

- OS

[Wingshooter]

2 minutes ago, Oh Shoot said:

There's nothing in there to suffocate. Contrary to common belief, the chiggers don't burrow into you, nor do they lay eggs in you either.

- OS

And thank God for that because I would have gone in after 'em by now and had my legs all bandaged up.

[Patrick Henry]

run hot water over the bites or soak a washcloth in hot water and cover the bites.  This will work with most bug bites and poison ivy.  Relief will last for hours.