capoeirajosh Report post Posted July 2, 2015 So, I am pretty sure that while scouting for bears the past 2 days, I got bit up by chiggers. I have over 80 bites with most of then being from my waist down. I was wearing long sleeves and pants. I didn't have my pants cinched at the bottoms though and did not have my shirt tucked in. Not sure if that would matter or not. Anyways, I was wondering how you all dealt with these bites, how long they lasted, and how I can prevent from getting them in the future? On a side not, how has scouting been going for you all? Seeing any bears? Looks like this year is gonna yield a nice acorn crop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backcountry_brad Report post Posted July 2, 2015 I don't know of any ways to prevent them and when I get chigger bites they usually last for a month or so Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost85 Report post Posted July 2, 2015 Just got back from a stint of working in west virginia, and there are a lot of chiggers there. The locals (hillbillies) said they rub apple cider vinegar on the bites periodically. They never got me, but it's worth a shot? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Little Creek Calls Report post Posted July 2, 2015 They are like ticks and DEET products work to repel them. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted July 2, 2015 I'm not saying we have no chiggers, but I've never encountered them in Arizona in nearly 80 years here. I did find them when I hunted the Texas Hill Country. I had dozens of bites around my belt-line and where the tops of my socks were tight against each of my legs. We treated them by dabbing each bite with a drop of clear fingernail polish. It supposedly suffocates the eggs that chiggers deposit in human skin. Don't know if that is so, but the polish (along with a coating of calamine lotion) worked. Bill Quimby 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
capoeirajosh Report post Posted July 2, 2015 If they aren't chiggers, then what could these bites have come from?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1denogean Report post Posted July 2, 2015 they are chiggers for sure and they are here in az. I know tons of people that got bit by them exactly like you. a set of people i know left their boots outside their tent and thats how they got them 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost85 Report post Posted July 2, 2015 The bear country in units 22&23 is full of em 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Little Creek Calls Report post Posted July 2, 2015 I have never encountered them in Arizona but have in Missouri and they are not fun. In looking around on the internet about chiggers found some interesting things about them. A common myth about chiggers is that they burrow into and remain inside the skin. This is not true. Chiggers insert their feeding structures into the skin and inject enzymes that cause destruction of host tissue. Hardening of the surrounding skin results in the formation of a feeding tube called a stylostome. Chigger larvae then feed upon the destroyed tissue. If they are not disturbed (which is rarely the case because they cause substantial itching) they may feed through the stylostome for a few days. The itch is due to the presence of the stylostome and usually is most intense within 1-2 days after the bite. Many home remedies for chigger bites are based upon the incorrect belief that chiggers burrow into and remain in the skin. Nail polish, alcohol, and bleach have been applied to the bites to attempt to get rid of the chiggers by "suffocating" or killing the chiggers. But because the chiggers are not present in the skin, these methods are not effective. Chiggers do not bite at colder temperatures below 60 F. Chiggers also are not found in areas hotter than 99 F. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
capoeirajosh Report post Posted July 2, 2015 The bear country in units 22&23 is full of em I was actually in 23s. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildwoody Report post Posted July 2, 2015 Here in hillbilly valley, (starvally) we come across them all the time, ya there here, we put downy fabric softener sheets around ankles and waste, ya sounds weird but it works great, and if you get bit use vinegar by put it on th@ bit. I don't no for sure if it draws them out or kills them. Noseeums ain't no better. Not here ha!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Becker Report post Posted July 2, 2015 OHHhhhHoHOHo we do have chiggers. Like mentioned above they are similar to a tick. They crawl on you and end up biting you usually where you have some restricting clothing. Sock lines waist band. But they will bite you anywhere. Once they bite you and it starts to itch first time you scratch the bite you scrape them off. The only thing to combat the bites afterwards is some kind of anti itch cream. Prevention..... Bug repellent! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Swivelhead Report post Posted July 2, 2015 Got bit up in 22 a long time ago. At the time I worked with some Oklahoma boys. I'd never heard of chiggers in AZ at the time. These guys could not stop laughing when I showed them the bites. These guys advised me to take a smoking hot bath two times a day with a 1/4 cup of bleach in the bathwater. It worked for me. By the 3rd bath all symptoms were gone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHT_MTNMAN Report post Posted July 2, 2015 Actually what we all call chiggers are probably no-see ums. A buddy of mine in Payson spent a fair amount of time researching them and found some good info, published papers from U of A I believe. The best way to avoid them is to put pants in socks and spray deet all over feet and socks and waist band. I've had great success avoiding most of the bites with that method. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shooter McGavin Report post Posted July 2, 2015 I have a good friend who is half Chinese and half black, we call him a chigger!!!!!! I have also got chiggers from unit 33, 34A & 36B, there are here and they suck. 10 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
