What Are Chiggers?

Chiggers

Chiggers are tiny red mites belonging to the Trombiculidae family. These minuscule arachnids are found in various outdoor environments, such as grassy fields, forests, and gardens. While they may resemble insects, chiggers are actually larval-stage mites.

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Chiggers are notorious for their parasitic behavior, as their larvae feed on the skin of animals and humans. Contrary to popular belief, chiggers do not burrow into the skin or suck blood. Instead, they pierce the skin and inject saliva containing digestive enzymes, which break down skin cells. The chigger then feeds on the liquefied skin tissue.

Are Chiggers Bad To Have Around Your House?

Chiggers can be a nuisance if they are present around your house, especially if you or your pets frequently spend time in outdoor areas where chiggers thrive. While chiggers themselves do not cause structural damage to buildings or pose direct health risks aside from their irritating bites, their presence can lead to discomfort and itching due to their parasitic feeding habits.

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Here are some reasons why having chiggers around your house can be undesirable:

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• Chigger Bites: The larval stage of chiggers feeds on the skin of animals and humans, including humans. Their bites can result in intense itching, red welts, and discomfort, especially in sensitive areas of the body.

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• Outdoor Activities: If your property has areas with tall grass, dense vegetation, or moist soil, these may provide suitable habitats for chiggers. This can limit outdoor activities such as gardening, playing, or relaxing in certain areas without taking preventive measures against chigger bites.

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• Pet Health: Pets that spend time outdoors, particularly in areas with chiggers, may also be susceptible to chigger bites. This can lead to discomfort for your pets and potentially necessitate veterinary care if they develop allergic reactions or secondary skin infections from excessive scratching.

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• Transmission of Diseases: While chiggers themselves do not transmit diseases to humans in most cases, certain species of chiggers, particularly in Asia, are vectors for diseases such as scrub typhus. However, this is not a concern in regions where scrub typhus is not endemic.

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What Attracts Chiggers?

Chiggers are attracted to a combination of environmental factors and the presence of potential hosts, such as humans and animals. Understanding what attracts chiggers can help in implementing preventive measures to reduce the risk of encountering them. Here are some factors that attract chiggers:

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1. Moisture: Chiggers thrive in humid and moist environments, such as tall grass, shrubs, and wooded areas with dense vegetation. Moist soil provides an ideal habitat for chiggers to lay their eggs and develop into larvae.

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2. Vegetation: Dense vegetation, including tall grass, weeds, bushes, and leaf litter, provides hiding places and shelter for chiggers. They may climb onto vegetation and wait for passing hosts to latch onto.

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3. Warmth: Chiggers are more active and abundant during warm weather conditions, typically in spring and summer when temperatures are higher. Warm temperatures promote their development and activity.

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4. Carbon Dioxide: Like many other insects and arachnids, chiggers are attracted to the carbon dioxide exhaled by animals, including humans. Carbon dioxide acts as a chemical cue that helps chiggers locate potential hosts.

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5. Hosts: Chiggers require a blood meal to develop into nymphs and adults. They are attracted to hosts such as mammals, birds, reptiles, and humans. When hosts pass through chigger-infested areas, the chiggers may attach themselves to the host's skin and feed on their blood.

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6. Covered Skin: Chiggers prefer to attach to areas of the body where clothing fits tightly against the skin, such as ankles, waistlines, and armpits. Tight clothing provides chiggers with easier access to the skin and reduces the risk of being dislodged.

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How To Get Rid of Chiggers From Your House With Alta Pest Control

While chiggers are primarily outdoor pests, they can be inadvertently carried into homes on clothing or pets. Here's how Alta Pest Control can help you get rid of chiggers from your house:

Inspection and Identification: Our trained technicians will conduct a thorough inspection of your property to identify areas where chiggers may be present. This includes outdoor areas such as lawns, gardens, and shrubbery, as well as indoor spaces where chiggers may have been carried inside.
Treatment Plan: Based on the inspection findings, we'll develop a customized treatment plan to target chiggers effectively. This plan may include a combination of outdoor and indoor treatments to address chigger populations both inside and outside your home.
Outdoor Treatment: We'll apply targeted treatments to outdoor areas where chiggers are likely to reside, such as grassy areas, shrubs, and vegetation. This may involve the application of insecticides or other pest control products to reduce chigger populations and prevent their return.
Indoor Treatment: If chiggers have been brought inside your home, we'll employ indoor treatment methods to eliminate them. This may include the use of residual insecticides or other appropriate products to target chiggers hiding in carpets, furniture, or other indoor surfaces.
Preventive Measures: In addition to treatment, we'll provide recommendations for preventive measures to minimize the risk of chigger infestations in the future. This may include advice on landscaping practices, outdoor maintenance, and personal protective measures to reduce contact with chiggers when spending time outdoors.
Ongoing Support: If you're still dealing with chiggers after the initial treatment, don't worry – we offer free re-services to address any lingering issues. Simply give us a call, and we'll promptly schedule a follow-up treatment at no additional cost to you. In addition to free re-services, we also provide ongoing support to keep your home chigger-free. We'll schedule regular appointments every quarter to proactively monitor and address any pest issues that may arise. This proactive approach helps ensure long-term protection against not only chiggers but also other common pests such as ants, carpenter bees, wasps, spiders, and more.

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At Alta Pest Control, we're committed to providing effective chigger control solutions tailored to your specific needs. With our expertise and dedication to customer satisfaction, you can trust us to help you reclaim your home from chiggers and enjoy a pest-free environment.

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While we cannot guarantee complete eradication of chiggers due to their outdoor nature and mobility, Alta Pest Control can effectively treat for them. Our comprehensive treatment approach targets chigger populations both indoors and outdoors, helping to reduce their presence around your home.

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Additionally, our products and treatments are designed to not only address chiggers but also help deal with other common pests you may encounter. Whether it's ants, carpenter bees, wasps, spiders, or other nuisance pests, our treatments are formulated to provide comprehensive pest control solutions for your peace of mind.

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At Alta Pest Control, we prioritize customer satisfaction and strive to exceed your expectations with every service we provide. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards a pest-free home environment.

Chigger FAQs

How do you know if you have chiggers?

Identifying chigger infestations can be challenging since chiggers are tiny and often go unnoticed until after they've bitten. However, here are some signs that you may have encountered chiggers:

Red, Itchy Bumps: One of the most common signs of chigger bites is the appearance of red, raised bumps on the skin. These bumps often resemble mosquito bites and may be accompanied by intense itching.
Location of Bites: Chigger bites tend to occur in areas where clothing fits tightly against the skin, such as around the ankles, waistline, armpits, and groin. They may also appear in warm, moist areas of the body, such as behind the knees or in skin folds.
Clustered Bites: Chigger bites often occur in clusters or groups rather than individual bites. This is because multiple chiggers may feed on the same host in close proximity, resulting in several bites clustered together.
Timing: Chigger bites typically become noticeable several hours after exposure to chigger-infested areas. The itching may intensify over the next few days as the body reacts to the chigger's saliva injected during feeding.
Visual Confirmation: If you've been in areas where chiggers are known to inhabit, such as tall grass, wooded areas, or fields with dense vegetation, and you notice red, itchy bumps appearing in clusters on your skin, it's likely that you've encountered chiggers.

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If you suspect you've been bitten by chiggers, it's essential to avoid scratching the affected areas, as this can lead to secondary infections. Instead, wash the affected areas with soap and water, apply calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream to alleviate itching, and consult a healthcare professional if symptoms persist or worsen. Additionally, taking preventive measures such as hiring Alta Pest Control for eradication can help with your chigger issue.

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Can chiggers live in your bed?

No, chiggers typically do not live in your bed. Chiggers are outdoor pests that primarily inhabit grassy areas, forests, and other outdoor environments with dense vegetation. They are commonly found in tall grass, shrubs, and leaf litter where they wait for passing hosts to latch onto.

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While it's possible for chiggers to hitch a ride indoors on clothing, pets, or belongings, they do not infest indoor environments like beds or mattresses. Chiggers prefer warm, humid conditions and require a suitable habitat for their development and survival, which indoor spaces generally do not provide.

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If you suspect that chiggers have been brought indoors, it's essential to take preventive measures such as washing clothing and bedding, vacuuming carpets and furniture, and thoroughly inspecting, cleaning any items that may have come into contact with chiggers and calling a professional pest control company such as Alta Pest Control. By removing potential sources of chiggers from your home and taking steps to prevent re-infestation, you can minimize the risk of encountering chiggers indoors.

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How long do chiggers stay in you?

Chiggers do not stay in or on humans for an extended period. When chiggers bite, they inject saliva containing digestive enzymes into the skin, which breaks down skin cells. They then feed on the liquefied skin tissue created by the enzymes. Once they've finished feeding, which usually takes a few days, they drop off the host and continue their life cycle.

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Chigger larvae typically feed on the host for a few days before dropping off. The feeding process can cause intense itching and discomfort for the host. It's essential to avoid scratching chigger bites to prevent secondary infections.

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While the feeding process may cause irritation for a few days, chiggers do not burrow into the skin or remain on the host for an extended period. Once they've finished feeding, they detach from the host and continue their development into nymphs and eventually adults.

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How do I get rid of chiggers?

To effectively get rid of chiggers, it's essential to address both outdoor and indoor environments where they may be present. Here's what you can do:

Outdoor Treatment:
- Keep lawns mowed and vegetation trimmed to reduce chigger habitats.
- Remove leaf litter, weeds, and other debris from your yard.
- Apply insecticides or chigger control products to outdoor areas where chiggers are likely to reside, such as grassy areas, shrubs, and vegetation.
Personal Protection:
- When spending time outdoors in chigger-prone areas, wear long sleeves, pants, and closed-toe shoes.
- Apply insect repellents containing DEET or permethrin to exposed skin and clothing.
- Shower promptly after outdoor activities to remove any chiggers that may have attached to your skin.
Indoor Prevention:
- Wash clothing and bedding worn or used outdoors in hot water to kill any chiggers.
- Vacuum carpets, furniture, and other indoor surfaces to remove any chiggers that may have been brought indoors.
Professional Pest Control: For comprehensive chigger control and prevention, consider calling Alta Pest Control. Our experienced technicians can assess your property, implement targeted treatments to reduce chigger populations, and provide ongoing support to keep your home chigger-free. With our expertise and proven methods, we can help you reclaim your outdoor and indoor spaces from chiggers.

Contact Alta Pest Control today for a consultation and take the first step towards effective chigger control.

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Do chiggers spread all over your body?

Chiggers do not typically spread all over the body. When chiggers bite, they tend to concentrate in areas where clothing fits tightly against the skin or in warm, moist areas of the body. Common locations for chigger bites include around the ankles, waistline, armpits, groin, behind the knees, and in skin folds.

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While it's possible to have multiple chigger bites on different parts of the body, they generally do not spread systematically across the entire body like some other types of insect bites or rashes. Chiggers prefer areas where clothing provides a barrier, making it easier for them to attach and feed.

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If you have multiple chigger bites on various parts of your body, it's likely because you encountered chiggers in different locations or because they were able to find exposed areas of skin. Taking preventive measures such as wearing long sleeves and pants, using insect repellents, and avoiding chigger-infested areas can help reduce the risk of multiple bites and minimize discomfort from chigger encounters.

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How Alta Pest Control Protects Your Home From Pests

All of our treatment plans are customized to your home and yard. We do this to ensure that you get the exact coverage you need to keep your home safe. All of our technicians and inspectors are experts in their field, so you can be sure that you are getting top-tier protection.

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Inspection

One of our expert technicians will inspect every inch of your home and business for pest activity. Then they will create a custom plan based on their findings.

Initial Service

Once your custom plan is created, we will treat your home and yard to give you immediate relief from pests. Then, we will create a boundary around your property to prevent more pests from entering.

Follow Ups

After the initial service, we will conduct regular maintenance to ensure that your pest problems remain solved. We will also conduct free inspections for problem pests, such as termites.

Alta Guarantee

When it comes to pest control, we put our money where our mouth is. If we treat your home, and you're still seeing pests, we'll come back and retreat for free. We'll always have your back.