I hate bugs

So you know the deal, right? Just click on the slightly blurry image to the right and it'll clear right up and you can see it in it's full size and glory. I tried out a new style, something different from my old Cue Laughter days. Still using bright colors of course (I'm like a child, I like bold colors) and you can see my "style" still under there (it isn't so much style as where my talent level peaks). But yeah, sorry about the delay.

So about bugs. Digging out here in [redacted] at the Wildcat site is pretty harsh when it comes to those bastards. The weeds are generally running around armpit height (although in some places over my admittedly short head) and in others just up to the shins. Either way it's a veritable haven for insects. I haven't had the misfortune of any ticks making there way into my flesh yet (although Ben has pulled a couple off his clothes). But what I've lost in ticks I've more than made up with chiggers. They're everywhere and in swarms...although it doesn't appear that anyone else is as bothered by them. Dr. Cook has a couple bites on his shins but that's about all. As for me I have quite literally hundreds on my abdomen, shins, knees, and even curving around my waist onto my back. They aren't so terrible (they itch like hell; they itch more when you scratch them) but I just have so many of them. Sometimes I just want to sit down and cry and whine "why me?"

So what are chiggers? Well for one they do not burrow into your skin. Nor do they lay eggs inside you. Basically they latch onto your skin, inject you with some of their digestive acid which dissolves a couple skin cells, then they slurp up the you soup. Lovely eh?

Some people seem disinclined to believe me...so here's what Wikipedia has to say about it:

Chigger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[...]

In North America, chigger refers to the harvest mite, the bite of which results in an intensely itchy red bump in humans (who are accidental hosts)...

* 1 Chigger Facts
* 2 Chigger myths
* 3 Prevention
* 4 Medical treatment
* 5 References

Chigger Facts

* Chiggers attach to the host, inject digestive enzymes into the bite wound, and then suck up the digested tissue.[4]
* Itching from a chigger bite may not develop until 24-48 hours after the bite, so the victim may not associate the specific exposure with the bite itself.[4]
* Warm, rainy days make these parasitic and predatory mites reproduce into large populations. Once the ground temperature is regularly above 60°F (~16°C), the harvest mite lays eggs, and “chigger season” is underway. This season typically begins in April and ends in the early autumn with the first frost.[5]
* It is the larval stage that feeds on humans (as accidental host) or more commonly on other animals (small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians).[4]
* Chiggers do not like sunlight or humidity. During the wet season, chiggers are usually found in tall grass and other vegetation.[5]
* During dry seasons, chiggers are most found underneath brush and shady areas.[6][7]
* When carrying a tiny parasite called Orientia tsutsugamushi, causes scrub typhus

Chigger myths

* Chiggers burrow into the skin. No, see Facts above.
* Chiggers suck blood. No, see Facts above.
* Applying finger nail polish to red bumps/bites on our skin helps by killing the chigger under the surface. No, by the time the severe itching occurs, the chigger is long gone.
* Chiggers are insects. No, they are mites.
* The red welt/bump on your skin is where a chigger laid eggs. No, it's where the chigger took a meal.[8]

[edit] Prevention

Keep grass short, and remove brush and wood debris where potential mite hosts may live. Keep major hosts away from the area, such as rodents and other small mammals. Secure trash cans to discourage wildlife from coming near your home. Sunlight that penetrates the grass will make the lawn drier and make it less favorable for chigger survival. [9]

For personal protection, apply insect repellent to feet, legs, and mid-section.

Medical treatment

To reduce the itching, apply an anti-itch cream that contains hydrocortisone, calamine, or benzyl benzoate. If you are sensitive to these medications or have questions, be sure to ask your health-care professional or pharmacist.

References

1. ^ ACES Publications : CHIGGERS : ANR-1109. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
2. ^ CDC - Scrub Typhus Reemergence in the Maldives. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
3. ^ Gosling, Peter J. (2005). Dictionary of parasitology. Boca Raton: CRC Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-415-30855-0.
4. ^ a b c Chiggers. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
5. ^ a b ArmaXX Pest Control. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
6. ^ University of Florida: IFAS Extension
7. ^ About.com: Chiggers Pediatric Dermatology Basics
8. ^ About.com: Chiggers Pediatric Dermatology Basics
9. ^ Armaxx Pest Control: Chiggers Prevention