# Chiggers and red bugs



## hunterrob (Aug 16, 2006)

Man I need to found out what to use to keep these rascals off of me and if they do find me what to use to stop icthing...? Them dang thing have found there way up where many do not go.. ....  PLEASE HELP. I have tried everything (that i can think of)..


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## Nicodemus (Aug 16, 2006)

If you get some on you, scratch. If you just get wrapped slam up with em, get your wife to help you scratch. There`s all kinds of remedies, some work, some don`t. Good luck!  Back when I used to get em on me, I could count on about 3 days of serious scratchin` before they finally let up.    

One more thing-redbugs are always funny..............when they`re on somebody else!!!


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## hunterrob (Aug 16, 2006)

nico..yeah my wife had asked funny questions about where a few came from in a certain area...thats funny


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## Cabinetman (Aug 16, 2006)

i heard if you wipe a little diesel fuel on your legs/arms they will avoid you like the plague but so will your wife/buddies/deer/


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## Darkhorse (Aug 16, 2006)

Use permanome or duranon on your clothes. This will kill them before they find a crack in your clothes. Keep your shirttail tucked in and you pants tucked in your boots. Kill them before they can attach themselves. And use strong DEET on your skin to keep them crawling until they crawl on fabric and get killed.
Now two weeks ago I wore a new pair of pants to the woods. There were some of those cool mesh spring turkey pants. And in my haste I forgot to spray them with permanone. All those little mesh holes were just perfect for the redbugs to find my skin. It's taken about a week of painting them with chiggerrid to finally kill them.
Next time I'm going to turn those pants inside out and soak the inside with permanone. Then turn them rightside out and soak the outside. Including my shirt, hat and boots. This way if any get through the mesh maybe the treated fabric on the inside will still kill them.


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## GTBHUNTIN (Aug 16, 2006)

man do I hate those little critters.


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## msubulldog (Aug 17, 2006)

I know I may take some flack over this but I have found that once you have them that if you paint over the bite with finger nail polish that will help control the itching.

I would suggest using clear fingernail polish unless you are willing to go in public with colored finger nail polish showing.


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## Huntin 4 More (Aug 17, 2006)

Went scouting last weekend in my short boots, pants and t-shirt and I got bit probably 200 times.  Looks like it is going to be a bad year for them.  

Once you get em, chiggerrid or nail polish works but they still itch.  Before you go hunting, you can spray parts of your body with no-scent deet bug spray which helps.  Spray on your body around the edges of where your clothes and boots are going to be before you put the clothes on like your ankles, waist, arms.


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## dixie (Aug 17, 2006)

about anything with deet in it works for me, back in the old days, like posted above, we used rags soaked in kerosene and tied around our wrist and ankles, but that was on fishing trips


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## elfiii (Aug 17, 2006)

Spray your shirt, pants, socks and boots with Permanone, liberally. Allow them to "line dry" for at least an hour prior to putting them on.

Spray deet around your ankles and up your calves to your knees. Also spray around your waistband, forearms and neck.

Its' not fool proof, but as close as it comes. Several weeks ago, I had two ticks in a "foot race" to get off my boot once they figured out it was covered in Permanone. Hope they died a painful death and spread the Permanone to their families.


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## RamblinWreck (Aug 17, 2006)

From a web search:

Chiggers do not burrow under your skin, as many people believe, nor do they feed on animal blood. They actually feed on the fluids in skin cells. To get the fluids, they attach themselves to a skin pore or hair follicle and inject a digestive enzyme that ruptures the cells. The enzyme also hardens the surrounding skin tissue, forming a sort of straw for sucking the skin cell fluids. The whole process irritates the skin, causing an itchy red bump that continues to cause discomfort for several days. Chiggers are only about 1/50th of an inch (0.5 mm) in diameter and so are too small to be seen with the naked eye. This invisibility is the reason so many people believe chiggers burrow under the skin.  

One commonly known remedy for chigger bites is to apply nail polish to reduce itchiness. This does not kill the chigger or treat the bite in any way. It simply seals the area off from the air, which keeps the sore from itching so badly. If you want to apply something to relieve itching, it's much better to use a salve or cream that contains antihistamines (Caladryl or hydrocortisone salves are the most common). Like nail polish, these treatments will seal the bite from the surrounding air, but they will also help to prevent infection. If the welts continue to irritate you for more than a couple of weeks, they might be infected and you should see a doctor.


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## abrannon (Aug 17, 2006)

Prevent with Deet.  Treat with Benedryl.  

The first time you scratch the bite, you kill the chigger.  I used to use nail polish to stop the itch, but now I have found that Benedryl's Anti-Itch formula works best for me.  It is intended for bug bites and also has some mild topical pain relievers in it.

I have also found that takes a Shower as soon after leaving the woods as possible, and using a corse wash cloth to scrub seems to help. But not always.  I have a bite now, in my left arm pit.


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## hunterrob (Aug 17, 2006)

thanks people for all the comments. I have taken notes now its time to do the homework....


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## huntnnut (Aug 17, 2006)

Permenone, Permenone, Permenone! 

You won't find anything on the market better than Permenone and you won't hardly catch me going to the woods w/o it.  I've been using it since 1980 and it still works just as good.  It is not mean't to be used on your body, only on your clothes.  Permenone contains permethrin, a high level of deet and it should not be sprayed directly on your body.  It will keep ticks, seed ticks and redbugs at bay.  You may get an occassional bite or two, though you can't beat Permenone.


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## deuce (Aug 17, 2006)

dixie said:
			
		

> about anything with deet in it works for me, back in the old days, like posted above, we used rags soaked in kerosene and tied around our wrist and ankles, but that was on fishing trips


Do not put kerosene rags around your wrist or ankles or any other part of your body. It will keep the bugs off but it will also blister your hide and you will be miserable. 
Permonone is the best.


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## DS7418 (Aug 17, 2006)

permanome,,,works for me.. i apply it to my hunting cloths about once every three trips.


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## greene_dawg (Aug 17, 2006)

Permenone is the best thing ever. I treat my clothes a day or two before I go out and then a quick coat before I hit the woods. Tuck your shirt in and your pant legs in. Wear a cap and treat it too. I used to get ticks or chiggars everytime I went to the woods before I found permenone. If you do get them a warm bath with the "aveno powder stuff" helps some and simply popping a couple of benadryl helps more than anything. I too have heard that nail polish is useless and that by the time the bite itches it's too late anyway. I good round with seed ticks was all it took me to figure out how not to be a host when I come out of the woods!!!


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## 270win (Aug 17, 2006)

We're in the woods two to three days per week in the off season.  With permenone on you will not have any issues with chiggers.  I had a buddy who got em' so bad he had to get a cortizone shot....  Be careful out there.

270


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## greene_dawg (Aug 17, 2006)

I had to have one of those shots myself. Miserable.


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## BLUE-TICK-HOUND (Aug 17, 2006)

*wintergreen alcohol*

when i get home from the woods i rub my arms and legs with the green wintergreen alcohol seem to keep them off me. if i use any bug spray i seem to get eat up by them little jokers.


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## Son (Aug 17, 2006)

*redbugs etc.*

Said it before, but let me tell ya again.
I dust the inside of my boots, pants and underarms with medicated foot powder. No bugs and I ain't had a deer blow at it yet.


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## Doyle (Aug 18, 2006)

I always had good luck using Champho Phenique on the bites to stop the itching.


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## bilgerat (Aug 20, 2006)

Doyle said:
			
		

> I always had good luck using Champho Phenique on the bites to stop the itching.


you had to go and look at the bottle to spell that , didnt you!


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## Lostoutlaw (Aug 20, 2006)

bilgerat said:
			
		

> you had to go and look at the bottle to spell that , didnt you!


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## GunRights4US (Aug 20, 2006)

huntnnut said:
			
		

> Permenone, Permenone, Permenone!
> 
> You won't find anything on the market better than Permenone and you won't hardly catch me going to the woods w/o it.  I've been using it since 1980 and it still works just as good.  It is not mean't to be used on your body, only on your clothes.  Permenone contains permethrin, a high level of deet and it should not be sprayed directly on your body.  It will keep ticks, seed ticks and redbugs at bay.  You may get an occassional bite or two, though you can't beat Permenone.



Such an unqualified endorsement makes me want to rush and buy some.  The only question I have is how does it smell?  If I treat my scouting clothes with it, am I also tainting the area around my stands with a chemical odour that's going to be a long time in clearing away?


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## Lostoutlaw (Aug 20, 2006)

I bought some stuff last year called sawyer it said to spray your clothes heavy bout a day before and then just before going into woods It is supose to last for about three days but heck I spray everyother day.  works for me


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## 7Mag Hunter (Aug 20, 2006)

*Chiggers and Redbugs*

Bug spray is probably best preventative...Put your pant
legs in your boots and tighten your belt before going to the
woods...Bug spray is necessary !!!!
When the above fails (and it will if you go th the woods),
you can get some relief by taking cool bath with several 
capfulls of bleach or 2-3 oz of pool chlorine in the water...
Also works for Poison Ivy/Oak...


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## Bucky T (Aug 20, 2006)

A tip for using Permanone.

A lot of fellas including myself at one time, will spray permanone on themselves when they get to the woods.

It works, but the real effective way to use it is to spray your clothes a day or two before you go into the woods.

It stay's active for a week or two after you spray it.

Take your clothes and hang them up outside and spray every last inch of them and let dry.

Doing it this way insures that your not leaving any place unsprayed the way you do when your spraying yourself w/your clothes already on!!!

This should keep the chiggers and ticks at bay.

Tommy


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## huntnnut (Aug 20, 2006)

GunRights4US said:
			
		

> Such an unqualified endorsement makes me want to rush and buy some.  The only question I have is how does it smell?  If I treat my scouting clothes with it, am I also tainting the area around my stands with a chemical odour that's going to be a long time in clearing away?




I assume you mean't to say qualified  endorsement.... 

When you first spray it on, it only has a slight smell to it.  I can't smell it at all within 5 minutes after spraying it on my clothes and it never seemed to bother the deer while I've been hunting.  I've taken many a deer with a bow while using it, if that means anything to you.


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## GT-40 GUY (Aug 20, 2006)

I didn't read all of the posts here, but this works better than anything else to stop the itching. Make a paste of table salt & water in the palm of your hand. Then take some on your finger and rub it into the bites and don't scratch and in about 10 minutes the itching will stop and never come back.


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## GunRights4US (Aug 21, 2006)

huntnnut said:
			
		

> I assume you mean't to say qualified  endorsement....
> 
> When you first spray it on, it only has a slight smell to it.  I can't smell it at all within 5 minutes after spraying it on my clothes and it never seemed to bother the deer while I've been hunting.  I've taken many a deer with a bow while using it, if that means anything to you.




Thanks.  I bought a couple of cans last night.  We'll see how well it works this coming weekend.


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## goose buster (Aug 21, 2006)

The best treatment is prevention, and this involves several steps that you are not involved with as the PMP. The chigger is a mite, and in its first stage it is a parasite that lives on the skin of animals, secreting a digestive fluid that dissolves skin cells that they then ingest. The effect of this saliva is the intense itching at that point, leading to severe scratching and potential skin infection. The itching can last several days or more, but can be relieved by various ointments available in pharmacies. Chiggers do not vector any diseases, and in the adult stage are predatory mites feeding on other mites and tiny insects. 
Your advice is to keep lawns and grassy areas mowed short, below 6 inches if possible, to help prevent chigger presence. You can treat these areas with a pyrethroid labeled for such use, and this will do a good job in killing any chiggers present. However, they are pretty mobile and can complete a life cycle in less than 2 months, with several generations per year in warm states, so repeat applications would be likely. 

- Use repellent on your skin and clothing around the lower legs to repel chiggers that get on them. DEET continually shows itself to be the best, longest lasting repellent. Tuck the ends of the pant legs into socks to help keep chiggers off the skin. They like to end up where skin and clothing touch, so most bites are around the ankles where socks pressed against the skin, but they could also climb further to get around the belt area. After a person has been active where chiggers could be they should bathe in hot water and thoroughly wash the skin with soap to remove any chiggers. They still may get the itching from feeding already having taken place, but it will lessen the problem. Usually chiggers don't begin feeding for several hours, so bathing immediately after being in chigger country could be a huge help. 

The chigger is a very fast moving mite, and it is attracted to people sitting on the ground due to carbon dioxide or maybe body warmth, so even people sitting on blankets could become infested, and here more likely around the waist area. Sampling for chiggers can be done with large squares of black paper, set on the soil or turf. If these bright red or orange mites are in that area they quickly will be crawling on the paper and will be visible. Their breeding is most likely in thick vegetation where it will be moist and cool, so eliminating these areas where possible further reduces their populations around human activity areas.


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## GunRights4US (Aug 21, 2006)

I'd look mighty funny draggin a lawn mower along with me when I'm trying to scout the woods!  LOL


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## DaGris (Aug 21, 2006)

I got those things a few years ago during bow season. i used everything i could find to make them stop itching. i bought something from cvs, its was called chigger ex, or something like that. it did help. it was in a white, round bottle with a red top.


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## BassWorm (Aug 21, 2006)

I knew someone a long time ago that claimed to put flea collars around his ankles. 
I didn't see him do it so I can't verify the truth to the tale.


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## BASS1FUN (Aug 21, 2006)

THE FINGERNAIL POLISH,PERMANONE AND ALL THE OTHER REMEDIES ARE GOOD, BUT I USUALLY WILL SOAK IN A WARM TUB OF WATER WITH PLENTY OF BAKING SODA. I WILL DO THIS AFTER SCOUTING/HUNTING ON HOT/WARM DAYS, ESPECIALLY AFTER WALKING THROUGH SOME THICK STUFF.


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## hunterb (Aug 21, 2006)

God Bless You Man....bet you rather be whipped right about know   ...I feel for you truly, permanone or duranon....sprayed on the clothes then air dry......i have been infest free ever since i started using it 10 yrs ago....I wont go in the woods when its warm witout it


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## Nicodemus (Aug 21, 2006)

BassWorm said:
			
		

> I knew someone a long time ago that claimed to put flea collars around his ankles.
> I didn't see him do it so I can't verify the truth to the tale.




This subject came up one time and a Vet in attendence told us it was a very bad idea. I can`t remember the details, but it can surely be bad for your health and well bein`.


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## kingfish (Aug 21, 2006)

This is fool proof 100%:  gym shorts or a bathing suit first, next, the pants from a bug tamer or some other light under garment, then put on the socks tucking the pants into the socks, then, my normal hunting pants, an old tee shirt tucked in, and my bug tamer jacket.  Lace up Rocky snake boots go over the top of both pants laced up.  Comfortable, cool and I can't remember the last time I had a tick or chigger get into my skin.  Chemical free.        Kingfish


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## letsgohuntin (Aug 22, 2006)

While fumblling through our bathroom closet yesterday, I stumbled across a product called _DERMOPLAST _...
It comes in a small 2oz aerosol can. I sprayed this stuff on my chigger spots and it has totally taken the itching away! Try it, you won't be disapointed! 

http://www.dermoplast.com/images/sprays.gif


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## thegaduck (Aug 22, 2006)

sent you a p.m.


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## FireDoc (Aug 23, 2006)

Old home remedy thats work for yrs with me. My great uncle took me out one day and I forgot my bug juice. He didn't have any either. I asked him what we were going to do. He reached into his cooler and handed me a soaked washcloth. It was soaked in lemon juice. We didn't have the first skeeter or chigger or any other bug even fly by us all day. Also walked up on two doe with the wind @ our backs. Wash rag <$1, lemon juice <$1. Problem solved.


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## Bobcat in Georgia (Aug 27, 2006)

*What region are you located in?*

I have found that the red bugs are worse in the eastern part of the State than anywhere else.  I started hunting in the southwestern part of the State and I have not had one red bug.  What is everybody elses take on this?


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## elfiii (Aug 27, 2006)

I wouldn't spray the Permanone on your skin. Bad JuJu Bwana.


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## whitworth (Aug 27, 2006)

*Permanone*

For years I thought that you didn't put it on your skin, because it was too strong.  Recently I read that permanone breaks down, when it is on skin, and becomes ineffective.


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