They are also found in areas with brush or thicket combined with moisture, like along stream banks.
What Are Chiggers?
Like spiders and ticks, chiggers are arachnidsbut extremely small ones.
The Spruce / Michela Buttignol
Adults get to about 1/60 inch in size.
They live all over the world but are most problematicin the American South, Southeast, and Midwest.
In North America, most chiggers are from theTrombiculagenus, especially theT.
Protect yourself from chiggers with pants and bootsGetty Images / RCKeller
The species native to North America generally do not spread diseases.
Chiggers are most active when the ground temperature is between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
They appear as clusters of dark-red, raised bumps.
Chigger biteJohn Brandauer/Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
So if your bites are in these spots, they could very likely be from chiggers.
They can live on human skin for up to four days but don’t attach right away.
Regularlymow your lawnclosely around trees, shrubs, and edges between garden beds and woody or naturalized areas.
Change Your Habits
Controlling chiggers does not mean that everything has to be manicured.
Also, treat your clothing with insect repellents containing DEET.
Broad-spectrum insecticides also kill beneficial insects and should only be the last resort.
Chiggers can not live without a host, so they can not live in your bed on their own.
Chiggers.University of Missouri Extension
About Chiggers.University of Maryland Extension.
Moore GC, Merchant ME.Chiggers.Agricultural Communications, The Texas A&M University System
