Really great site.
My first post here. hmm, kind of long for a newbie. oops...
I'm a hobby naturalist in Dallas and love going into the woods and high grass even in high summer. Nutty? Maybe but there is just so much to see, photograph and video.
This post is not about treating chigger bites, but preventing them. Being a known chigger magnet I (like many of you) have tried everything ever suggested. One day someone will discover a real chigger repellent and make millions. In the mean time, the quest continues.
Any new suggestions or opinions on any of this would be really appreciated. My overall favorite blocker is at the bottom. Here are my opinions on some preventative measures.
DEET - doesn't work at all. chiggers don't look for you by scent. They are brushed onto you. Too late.
PERMYTHRIN - too weak. Chiggers are very fast moving and desparately hungry.
SULFUR CREAM - no benefit at all. Tried the stuff sold in military px.
SULFUR POWDER - Reduces number of bites. Always bitten though. For example, with powder 30 bites, without >100.
TUCKED IN PANTS - Does nothing in an infested area or anywhere with chiggers for that matter. This just channels the chiggers to your socks, which is disasterous.
NUDE - very few bites but badly sunburned.
RHINOSKIN - Limited benefit. When stretched under a magnifying glass (15x) the fabric holes become significantly larger than chiggers, allowing them access. A bit better than sulphur powder. Exceedingly uncomfortable in the heat. Pretty uncomfortable any time.
In fact, one day, I applied sulphur cream, wore permathrin treated rhinoskin (full body), permathrin treated clothes and then sprayed with DEET, all at the same time. I ended up with about 30 bites, most on the left side.
and the winner is...
Mineral oil?
In my humble experience, this stuff creates a completely impenetrable barrier. I wear shorts and spread unscented mineral oil on my lower legs and ankles (Yuck you say?). I thought so too, expecting it to make me hot and itchy. In 95+ degrees, I cannot even feel that it is on. There is no sensation associated with wearing mineral oil, at least not on your legs.
You can't wear socks since they will soak it up and the biters will reach skin. I wear some really basic, thin-fabric lace-less shoes over oily ankles, like these:
Rocket Dog Native - Natural - Free Shipping & Return Shipping
As the day progresses, little black specs start appearing in the oil coating, which, by the end of the day becomes the la brea tar pit for hundreds of flying and crawling biters.
If you want to take a hike in a chigger infested area, you might try shorts and some mineral oil. Chiggers can't crawl on it and definately can't swim through it.