JennyD Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 (edited) We live in Tennessee and our backyard is so infested with chiggers as to be nearly unusable. Despite the fact that we not only change clothes but also all bathe immediately after coming inside from the yard, the children get bitten constantly and all five members of our family have bites in not-very-nice places. (The boys' and DH's bites are worse than mine, poor guys.) Anyway, we have been trying to figure out what, if anything, we can do about this. We have trimmed back a lot of brush, but our yard is very shady. DH tried a nontoxic cedar oil spray that did nothing. We could use poison -- surely even that would be preferable to spraying ourselves with bug spray every day -- but it's not even clear that that would work. DH sent me something about keeping a guinea fowl as pest control (!) but I am not entirely sure that I am up for that. I would be ever so grateful for any suggestions. Edited June 9, 2012 by JennyD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 We use poison. Sometimes even with the poison you miss some, but it is better then coming in covered every day. I know they talk about guinea fowl being used to keep ticks away, but chiggers are so tiny I just don't know if it would work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Is there something particular you use? Just a general insecticide? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I know my DH uses something in particular, but he is out cold for the night so I can't ask what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Can you plant St. Augustine grass or something similar? We only had chiggers when we had weedy brushy stuff in our backyard, but as soon as we covered the whole thing in pea gravel to set up our swing set they disappeared, and we never have had them in the front yard where the St. Augustine grass is located. Those are the itchiest bites ever! We got some stuff from our pedi that instantly made the itching stop, but I cannot remember the name (that was 10 years ago). you might ask the doc though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 From our experience here you have to keep any part of the yard you want to use cut normally, all the time, and then it takes a while still yet for the population to go down. The lower you cut it and the more regular the more likely they are to go away and quicker. My clothesline is on the edge of our cleared property and for a good year or so I'd get chiggers every time I hung clothes out but now it is just fine. If however, we go exploring in untamed areas with weeds and brush we get them every single time. Thankfully we have very little of that now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I have been about to write same op. We have tried cedar, sulfur and diamentaceous earth at different times. I am about to buy miticide or general pesticide but can't decide which one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 My dad used to swear by using Sevin Dust for getting rid of chiggers. It isn't as 'toxic' and dangerous as other pesticides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 My dad used to swear by using Sevin Dust for getting rid of chiggers. It isn't as 'toxic' and dangerous as other pesticides. I have heard that Sevin is extremely toxic to bees and may be causing the colony collapse syndrome. I am so stressed trying to find a way to eliminate the chiggers that I am about to cry. Dh and I have dozens of bites. We don't enjoy our backyard anymore. I only let the kids outside if they take a bath after coming in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I have heard that Sevin is extremely toxic to bees and may be causing the colony collapse syndrome. I am so stressed trying to find a way to eliminate the chiggers that I am about to cry. Dh and I have dozens of bites. We don't enjoy our backyard anymore. I only let the kids outside if they take a bath after coming in. Sevin Dust is very, very, very bad for bees. I haven't heard anything about it contributing to CCD, I believe that is caused by other things but it is still toxic to them, especially the dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 We live in Tennessee and our backyard is so infested with chiggers as to be nearly unusable. Despite the fact that we not only change clothes but also all bathe immediately after coming inside from the yard, the children get bitten constantly and all five members of our family have bites in not-very-nice places. (The boys' and DH's bites are worse than mine, poor guys.) Anyway, we have been trying to figure out what, if anything, we can do about this. We have trimmed back a lot of brush, but our yard is very shady. DH tried a nontoxic cedar oil spray that did nothing. We could use poison -- surely even that would be preferable to spraying ourselves with bug spray every day -- but it's not even clear that that would work. DH sent me something about keeping a guinea fowl as pest control (!) but I am not entirely sure that I am up for that. I would be ever so grateful for any suggestions. :iagree:That's the only thing that I can think of besides poison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Last year we put this dry granular stuff (Scott's brand?) on our yard and it really seemed to get rid of them. They're back this year though :glare:. I'm planning to make some coconut oil/peppermint oil bug repellent to see if that helps. Otherwise, you might want to call around to different pest control companies and see what they have to offer. There are some that advertise being all-natural and safe for kids and animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Sevin Dust is very, very, very bad for bees. I haven't heard anything about it contributing to CCD, I believe that is caused by other things but it is still toxic to them, especially the dust. Oh my gosh. That is heartbreaking. That was the only thing I've ever heard of that worked on chiggers in the yard. There must be something that isn't toxic to bees...sorry for that recommendation...I'm just missing my daddy and I still think that he knew *everything* :sad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I didn't even know you could still buy Sevin. I thought it was banned. It certainly should be. Besides killing bees, it's classified as a likely carcinogen. Anyway OP, I think you're going to have to use some kind of pesticide, at least until you get it under control. Clear as much as you can, and keep it clear, keep the small mammals away (chiggers love squirrels, rats, etc.), and spray a time or two. Good luck. Chiggers bites are horrible. Slightly off topic: Anyone remember the days when they used to say chiggers bore into your skin and lay eggs? I remember putting clear nail polish on chigger bites as a teen. We actually thought we were killing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 For my recent chigger bites I have used Melrose oil. It cuts the need to scratch and my bites are healed quickly. I have to apply it about 3 times a day but so worth it. Can't stand chiggers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Thanks so much for all the replies. The bite solutions are also very much welcome, as you might imagine! I think DH is going to respray the cedar oil this weekend and I am going to knock on the doors of some of my neighbors who have little signs from the 'organic pest control' companies in their yards and ask them if they thought it worked. We have a LOT of (very aggressive) squirrels living in our yard -- they nest in one of our trees -- and I am sure that that is contributing to the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 My DH says he uses permethrin in the yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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