Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Chiggers Are A Headache

C. Richard Maples

Extension Communications Specialist

About the only way you can avoid chiggers without staying indoors all summer is to cover yourself with a commercial repellent labeled for the pests, says Dr. Don Johnson, entomologist for the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas.

Johnson said you can control chiggers in the lawn by applying Dursban or Diazinon. "It also helps to keep the lawn mowed and free of brush," he said.

If you are exposed to chiggers, immediately take a hot, soapy bath to kill and wash away the larvae. Then apply an antiseptic to kill trapped chiggers and prevent infection.

"Unfortunately," said Johnson, "killing the larvae usually doesn't stop the itching, which is caused by tissue reaction to a fluid injected by the chigger. It's usually two or three days before the itching stops. The most you can hope for is temporary relief from a product designed to stop itching. Ask your pharmacist to suggest one."

For more information about controlling chiggers in your lawn, contact your county office of the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas.