Key Points Chiggers are most active in the afternoon when ground temperatures are between 77°F and 86°F. Only the larval form parasites on people and animals. They are too small to see with the naked ...

When trying to identify chigger bites, doctors are “looking for little red bumps, typically on the lower legs and ankles,” Dr. Melissa Levoska, an assistant professor of dermatology at the ...

“I’ve been bitten by chiggers many times, and I know it’s very tempting to scratch, but you don’t want to create a bigger problem.” Instead, you may want to grab a topical ointment.

5. Upper Legs Stripes below the bottom edge of your underwear on the upper thighs and around each leg below the knee ensure that the tick and chigger recon squad can’t move up or down.

Ugh—you're scratching and you'd really like to know what bit you: Chigger and bed bug bites often look similar, but there are ...

Adults are larger and have eight legs, whereas the juvenile ones have only six. Chiggers favor grassy woody areas usually near water but can even found in your lawn.

Understanding chiggers helps with prevention. Chiggers live in vegetation, mostly in unmaintained vegetation. They have four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult.

Finally, when you get inside, after an outdoor excursion, take a moment to wipe your legs down with a towel or take a shower to try and dislodge chiggers before they bite.

Chiggers inhabit grasses, decaying leaf matter and low shrubs near bodies of water. Historically, chigger season in the United States has been from late spring to early fall.

In this edition of The People’s Pharmacy, Joe and Teresa Graedon also hear from a reader with a tip, and word of caution, for repelling chiggers.

To reduce the chances of exposure to chiggers, McDowell recommends wearing long pants, tucking pant legs into socks, and using repellents or deterrents like DEET, sulfur powder or plant-based oils.