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Went to the land this weekend and cut some grass and fire some my guns. Had my son w/ me so it was great...except a few hours later. we both had bites from chiggers and itching around ankles, and underware area. tried aloe Vera and cortisone cream. Still very itchy. Any advice to relieve this, besides wait it out.

An Aveeno bath, then Campho Phenique (be careful with it in the underwear area!)

A good long, hot, soapy, and scrubbing shower should do the trick.

Starch

Good old plain blue liquid laundry starch.

By the time you've got bumps and you're itching, the chiggers are long gone. Benadryl and warm baths.

I get 'em all the time at my place. Only prevention is LOTS of Off on my shoes, socks, legs, and jeans. And even then....the little buggers can make a quick trip to my underwear line...how...I don't know!

Prevention is the best solution -- either sulphur dust or tons of Deet on your shoes, legs, pants, up to knee heigth, and refreshed every four hours or so.

Chiggers are the immature form of a mite species. Like ticks, they hang around on vegetation waiting for a host to pass by. So think tall grasses, dewberry bushes, etc. When they get on you, they crawl to a tight spot (e.g., where your stocks squeeze your ankles, or where your underwear squeezes your groin/waistband. Then they burrow into your skin. External topicals might treat the itch, but the damage is done.

I learned a little of this taking an acarology class in college. I learned most of it from the effects of hiking around the hill country in the spring time.

SSSStingStop

This stuff works very good on most any bug bites. We find it at Market Street. Really does a good job stopping itch and sting.
http://www.sssstingstop.com/

Chiggers are bad news. Nothing but time works completely, and, in the meantime, the itching is insane!

Chigarid works as well as anything.

Songbird wrote:An Aveeno bath, then Campho Phenique (be careful with it in the underwear area!)

Went to Walgreens and got both. Wow, feels much better, placebo or not I don't care, it works. Thx songbird.

Flea collar around ankles

For prevention, I think we used to tuck our pants legs into our socks or boots and spray heavily with Off. Looked dorky, but I seem to recall it helped.

suthdj wrote:Flea collar around ankles

I like this ideal.

After years of deer leasing, I have found the sulfur powder to be the best deterrent. Pour a bunch into a long tube sock, tie the top, and start patting...

Texas_Blaze wrote:

Songbird wrote:An Aveeno bath, then Campho Phenique (be careful with it in the underwear area!)

Went to Walgreens and got both. Wow, feels much better, placebo or not I don't care, it works. Thx songbird.

Yea! Glad to be of help! I discovered the Aveeno when my kids had Chicken Pox. It saved our sanity!

carlson1 wrote:

suthdj wrote:Flea collar around ankles

I like this ideal.

Carl, I MAY have to disagree with you and suthdj. I say may have to only because it may work if put on the outside of long pants. Do not put directly on skin if wearing shorts.

We do not even put them on our dogs. If a dog collar has enough toxins to kill the fleas on a dog, IMHO, thats too much. And just imagine if those toxins were on you. It will get into your bloodstream. I only say this because there are those that may try it on bare ankles (I've seen it before).