Chiggers
H. Maas
Posts: 2
We have tried to prevent chiggers in our garden by natural ways. Unfortunate this did not work. I am afraid we have to look for a rigorous way through pesticides. Can anyone help us please what we can use.
We have a beautiful garden of 550 m2 near the seaside of Holland. From half july till half octobre it is impossible to be or work in the garden because of the chiggerbites.
We hope anyone can advise us.
Thank you so much.
Best regards from Holland.
Helene
0
Posts
I'd never heard of a chigger before reading your post Helene. They sound horrible, and I hope they keep away from where I live. I can offer no advice I'm afraid.
Hopefully someone with some knowledge of these beasties will be able to advise.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Chiggers are called Harvest Mites in the UK. I don't think theirs an awful lot you can do but perhaps try an application of Avon ever so soft to the skin. It's a skin moisturiser but it's seriously good for keeping many bugs away.
I would think that the only way to get rid of them would be to move home or drastically change the landscape around where you live over a very large area.
They prefer warm damp humid conditions and breed many times a year in ideal conditions in the trillions. Your trying to fight a loosing battle I think.
Hi Helene, i suffer with them here in south scotland. Not for as long as you, just august normally. Some years are much worse than others. I have heard they are really localised, so they will be just in certain areas in your garden, but its hard to track when the bites dont appear for a while. In scotland they are called berry bugs and i have been trying to work out if they are on raspberries etc or if its just the colour of them, i dont know.
I think they can be dislodged, so have a hot shower after gardening, and wash clothes in a hot washing cycle too. They do drive me mad, but they arent associated with diseases, so its not the worst thing you can have.
i have a spray for my dog - frontline. I asked the vet if i could use it too, but she refused to comment! I havent heard of anything you can use in the garden, not sure if that would be feasible at all. I did invest in some of those clothes (nosilife rings a bell) but they didnt work for me.
Sorry if this is not much help. Its something id love a solution for too.
Thank you very much for your reactions!
For years we keep the lawn short, go in the shower after being in the garden, wash all the clothes we've been wearing. We use DEET on our body, we're going to try AVON (thank you for the tip) and all the precautions which are neccesary. And as you said, one year is worse than the next. And Pete8: I hope you'll never get them.
The chiggers or also called augustmite or harvestmite and can live anywhere in the garden. Not neccesarily on berries.
We keep our hopes for a solution and in the meanwhile we look very much forward for the spring to come.
I'll keep you informed.
Thank you so much.
Helene
I've been to Thailand a few times and as I often get bitten by mozzies etc I was recommended Jungle Formula which I used and it worked a treat. It says it offers protection against a lot of bugs.
It's a mix of plant essential oils and one spray over the body twice a day worked for me.
No idea if it may be effective against chiggers
Good luck Helene
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
The Avon product is actually Skin so Soft rather than Ever so Soft, but whatever the name it really does work for mosquitoes and midges so will hopefully work on the chiggers too. Jungle Formula is based on DEET and there have been concerns raised about the use of DEET.
Oooops your right it is Skin So Soft, should know by now used it for years.
Its worth trying anything, they are maddening things, but they are not insects and they dont fly. Skin do soft definitely works for flies, and its nice to use unlike deet. the pet spray i mentioned is for ticks and fleas, i think thats more the sort of area (no im still not using it!) and there seems to be specific chigger products available in the states, though there is less legislation on chemicals there i think.
I was convinced i knew the areas they were in last year and did a lot better, but it could just have been a good year in terms of low numbers. Its very difficult to be certain. Im definitely going to carry on working on it and will post if i make a discovery!