Me vs The Chigger

OK, so I need some real help. Well, I need lots of real help, but I have something very specific to write about. There’s a micropscopic nemesis that has descended upon my backyard that will not go away: the chigger. These things are wreaking havoc on my backyard fun. Opening my sliding glass door to the beacon of my backyard to garden, play catch with the kids, and push them on the swings has become about as safe as swimming off the coast of a New England seaside town (cue music…). I’ve had 3 bouts of them already this summer, and Andrew has had them all along his diaper area now for the past few weeks. Not easy trying to let him air out a little.

The difficult decision to spray pesticides today and remove some well established plants over the weekend was not an easy one. (You could call us slight tree-huggers, maybe something like tree hand-shakers or tree’s acquaintances). But after sleepless nights scratching, I reached the end of my rope. What’s also irritating is that they don’t seem to be biting my husband. He has yet to suffer from a bout of chigger bites like me and the kids have been. And he does all the grass cutting and weed whacking. The only remedy I have found to speed up the itching process is to spray a fast flow of water directly on the bites with the hottest water I can stand. Unfortunately the kids wouldn’t be able to handle the hot water, so they can’t use this remedy. But hot compresses on the bites seems to work. Otherwise, preventive measures have been bug spray, with little success, and I’m not a huge fan of deet.

So does anyone else suffer from these annoying mites? Any remedies you care to share?