Have you ever woken up and found small bug bites all over your body? Spiders and bed bugs might be the first biting insects that come to mind, but chiggers are another common pest that creeps its way into your home. How do you get rid of chiggers in your house?
Getting rid of tiny red bugs in your house is going to alleviate a lot of stress for you and your family. Learning how to kill chiggers in your home requires a basic understanding of what these bugs are and putting as many preventative measures as possible to protect your home from an infestation.
Chiggers feed on the skin cells of mammals, including humans and our furry family members. Calling pest control might be the first action you consider taking but trying a couple of home remedies will teach you how easy it is to implement chigger control.
What are Chiggers?
Whether you call them chiggers, harvest mites, or red mites, these microscopic mites cause a huge fuss when they make their way indoors. Despite popular belief, chiggers aren’t similar to ticks and bed bugs in how they bite as adults.
The chigger larvae are what feeds on the skin cells found inside our homes. Because chiggers are so small, it’s hard to identify them. Chigger bites are one of the most telling ways to pinpoint their presence.
Their larval stage starts as a tiny egg. As they grow into larvae, they begin feeding on the skin. The larvae insert their mouthparts into the cells on our bodies. Their saliva releases enzymes and causes an allergic reaction.
These bites make small red bumps on our skin that create an intense itching sensation. Too much scratching causes welts and blisters. As they age, chigger nymphs stop biting us, but they lay eggs and create even more problems.
So, how do you get rid of chiggers in your house? Browse through some of these home remedies for chigger control and discover the best way to get rid of chiggers in your home for good.
Tips for Getting Rid of Tiny Red Bugs in Your House
If you want to kill chiggers in your home, then you’ll find comfort that, although annoying, chiggers are easy to get rid of. Making a homemade natural chigger repellent is the ideal way to handle the situation.
There are also plenty of pesticides that quickly kill a house gnat, bed bug, or any other sort of pest. When asking how do you get rid of chiggers in your house, start skimming through this list to help you to find a form of pest control that appeals to you.
How do You Get Rid of Chiggers in Your House?
What gets rid of chiggers? It’s fine to purchase insect repellent at the store, but some home remedies are equally strong with far less harmful chemicals than an insecticide. Some essential oils are a prominent tool to use on insects because they are sensitive to strong smells.
Fill a small spray bottle half full of water. Add an equal amount of the witch hazel and squeeze a few drops of each essential oil into the bottle.
Replace the top of the bottle and shake it so the liquids mix. Spray the repellent around all areas of your home. Create a border around your house’s exterior, apply it to entryways, and spray it where you’ve noticed signs of chigger activity for the best results.
Kill Chiggers in Your Home with Diatomaceous Earth
Getting rid of tiny red bugs in your house, or the quickest way to get rid of bed bugs, is so much healthier with non-toxic products. Using diatomaceous earth to kill bed bugs and other pests is a popular option for all types of infestations.
Diatomaceous earth is a family-friendly powder made of fossilized diatom shells. Insects that walk through the powder become dehydrated and eventually die.
Spread this non-toxic product around your home, entryways, and areas where there may be chigger activity.
Maintain Your Yard
It isn’t ideal to have to kill chiggers in your home every single year. One of the most straightforward actions to prevent these pests from appearing is by maintaining your yard.
Mow tall grass around your property consistently. Chiggers enjoy hiding in areas where there is shade, so overgrown grass and brush piles might be the cause of your pest problem.
Keep a Clean House
Chiggers often find their way inside by attaching themselves to our clothing or pets. Wipe down all the surfaces around your home with hot water and soap. Hard surfaces are easier to clean than cloth surfaces, but they require cleansing as well.
Borrow a carpet cleaner or spot cleaner if you don’t already have one and do a deep cleaning of your entire house once per year to kill eggs that may be hidden around your home.
Stronger Products to Kill Chiggers
Before you use store-bought products with chemicals in them, always put on protective clothing like shirts with long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toe shoes.
These measures protect your skin from chemical burns and irritation and ensure you’re taking all the proper safety measures.
DEET is an excellent insect repellent that interferes with a bug’s neurons and receptors to help keep them from attaching to your clothing while outside.
Sulfur powder is another strong option for removing chiggers from your yard. Chiggers live in clusters, so don’t be afraid to apply heavy amounts around your yard to deter them.
Permethrin is a two-in-one tool that works as either a topical skin medication or an insecticide safe to spray over clothing and furniture. Always read the label information and directions before using any of these products.
Treating Chigger Bites
People once believed that putting nail polish over chigger bites would suffocate the chiggers, but by the time you find the bite, they’ve likely already fallen off your body.
Chiggers bite most frequently in areas of the body with lots of folds like the armpits, groin, and back of the knees. Treat chigger bites with antihistamines or hydrocortisone creams like Calamine lotion.
These medications reduce itchiness and swelling to prevent you from scratching too much and making the bites blister.
It’s hard to believe that a microscopic insect could create such a big fuss. Chiggers are a huge nuisance and could leave you covered in red welts that are miserable to deal with.
Getting rid of tiny red bugs in your house isn’t going to cost you by calling pest control because there are ways to stop chiggers and combat them with natural home remedies.
As long as you put preventative measures in place every spring, your home remains free from chiggers for life.
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