Home Remedies for Chigger Bites
WARNING: This home remedies site is intended to be archival in nature. The natural remedies here are submitted by numerous people from around the world, and we have no way to test or verify every remedy. As such these home remedies should be used for academic purposes only. Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.
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Chigger Bites Home Remedies:
Submitted by lazytigerz at 2007-08-31 20:25:15
After a long day in the Ozarks, and a zillion chigger bites, I read a lot of medical sites and couldn't find any real help. So, from the info I did glean, and finding out that even after showers the little buggers will hang on and live, I bought a bottle of Nix(head lice treatment). I wiped it all over the bites, and, yes, if it can kill head lice, you bet it will kill chiggers. I then dabbed hydrogen peroxide on to prevent any infection. Healed well and no scabs.
rating: 7 (17 votes)
Submitted by Jim at 2007-06-13 14:31:37
I found out if I place a lit cigarett near the bite and hold it close enough to feel the heat and a bit of a sting the itch will go away for good. The relief is quick and permanent.
rating: 7 (5 votes)
Submitted at 2007-07-02 19:58:22
Bordeaux's Butt Paste works great at removing the itch & redness! I had over 100 bite to one leg. I was willing to try anything! Someone (on this site) mentioned something about Desitin. I will only use Butt Paste on my daughter's diaper rash and figured I would give it a try. The redness and itching subsided almost instantly!
rating: 6 (7 votes)
Submitted by Donna Z at 2006-08-31 19:41:45
I live in south-central Missouri, on a cattle ranch, and I get into chiggers at least twice a year. I am sensitive to the bite and have a really hard time, itching day and night and marked around my ankles and lower legs with nasty-looking sores.
The kids in the area told me to take a hot soapy shower, then 'scratch'em 'til they're raw, put hairspray on them, and get ready to dance'.
I don't know if the bitesgo away any faster, but it does stop the itching.
rating: 6 (12 votes)
Submitted at 2007-01-18 01:08:22
The popular home remedy for which there is little justification is to dab nail polish on the welt. This cannot 'smother' the chigger because it has not burrowed into your skin, and it was probably scratched off long ago. The only benefit to applying a thick coat of nail polish is that it helps to remind you not to scratch the bite.
Only the larvae are known to attack humans. They pierce the skin and inject into the host a salivary secretion containing powerful, digestive enzymes that break down skin cells that are ingested (tissues become liquefied and sucked up). Also, this digestive fluid causes surrounding tissues to harden, forming a straw-like feeding tube of hardened flesh from which further, partially-digested skin cells may be sucked out. After a larva is fully fed in four days, it drops from the host, leaving a red welt with a white, hard central area on the skin that itches severely and may later develop into dermatitis. Any welts, swelling, itching, or fever will usually develop three to six hours after exposure and may continue a week or longer. If nothing is done to relieve itching, symptoms may continue a week or more. Scratching a bite may break the skin, resulting in secondary infections. Chiggers are not known to transmit any disease in the United States.
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted by Julie at 2007-07-10 18:53:22
I am new to Texas and never had chigger bites before. I had them all over my feet and ankles. The itch was so bad, I thought I was going to go crazy. I tried the nail polish remedy and did not get any results. A family friend who is native to Texas and a ranch foreman suggested a hot bath mixed with bleach: 50%water/50% bleach. I soaked my feet for about ten minutes and it COMPLETELY took away the itch. Wanted to offer the advice on here because it worked so well for me and I was desperate for a remedy at one time. Hope it works for you!
rating: 5 (16 votes)
Submitted at 2006-06-19 16:05:10
This may sound weird, but it works for chigger bite itch. As soon as you notice an itch associated with chiggers, take a hair dryer(handheld blow-dryer), turn it on 'high', and hold it a few inches from the bite. Continue to hold it there until the heat becomes uncomfortable (a few seconds). After the heat subsides from your skin, the itch will be gone!
rating: 5 (23 votes)
Submitted at 2004-09-04 09:12:02
To smuther the chiggers and stop the itching put vics vapor rub on areas affected. The petroleom suffocates them and the methanol relieves itching. You can also mix camphor and phenol in mineral spirits, works wonders.
rating: 5 (106 votes)
Submitted by John Mason at 2005-12-12 13:20:07
Rub bacon grease on affected areas of skin. Itching will stop immediately and chigger bites will disappear in 2 or 3 days.
rating: 5 (51 votes)
Submitted by aja at 2004-08-04 15:57:20
Dab a little clear nail polish on the chigger bite as soon as you notice it.
rating: 5 (94 votes)
Submitted by JCL at 2007-08-07 11:44:00
I had HUNDREDS of chigger bites -- way too many for most of the topical treatments. I was about to lose my mind with the itching. After trying other methods of relief, I found that taking a VERY hot shower or bath, as hot as you can stand it, and then daubing the infected area with Listerine mouthwash gave me great relief. The mouthwash is anticeptic and seems to help with the healing. Whatever, I felt like a new person.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted by mark saunders at 2004-04-13 18:21:36
Get a washcloth wet with warm water. Apply table salt to the wet washcloth. Rub the washcloth on the affected areas of the skin, avoiding the genitals. It may hurt a little, but it will help stop the itching.
rating: 5 (61 votes)
Submitted at 2007-07-11 12:21:49
Keep a tall pair of boots or shoes that can be easily sprayed off after walking in a weeded area. Remove all clothes and wash them. Take a bath within two hours of being exposed. It may take several hours before they finally bite. After showering rub 5% vinegar(apple cider might be best)to soothe skin and deter any more bites. On bites dab a little tea tree oil to help prevent any infection. Plus this is irritating to the mite if its still there. Cover that with a clear calamine solution that has itch relief in it.
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted by Gale at 2004-04-14 14:54:39
For Chigger Bites add 3 cap fulls of concentrated lysol to a full bath tub of water. Take bath in the water.
rating: 5 (44 votes)
Submitted by Stephanie at 2005-07-19 08:06:40
Aveeno makes a colloidal oatmeal soak used to help itching from poison oak, poison sumac, insect bites and other things. I have found soaking in this GREATLY help reduce itching for chiggers. However, if there are only a few bited confined to feet or ankles, it is much easier to use a small amount of this colloidal oatmeal soak and mix with a little bit of water to make a paste. Apply this to the bites and wrap the feet/ankles with Saran Wrap to help the oatmeal sink into skin and to prevent it from coming off as you walk. Keep on for 15-20 minutes, then remove the Saran Wrap and gently massage area with warm water until you feel a thin film form. Pat dry (do not rub). Stops itching for hours and you can finally fall asleep!
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2006-08-07 14:07:22
After reading all the remedies and trying a few, I think petroleum jelly works the best. Although I took it a step further because while I wanted to make sure the chiggers died, I also wanted relief from the itching so I tried A and D ointment. If its good enough for a new baby`s diaper rash, it`s good enough for me. So far so good!Desitin would probably work also but it would be harder to wash off and a little smelly. Oh! Guess what? You can use it on your private areas!
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted by tyler at 2007-05-24 17:15:23
I had chigger bites real bad. I tryed all differant things salt, baking soda, cadradril lotion, chigger bite cream. None of that worked. Then i went and got a stick of after bite and clear nail polish. take like two showers aday and rub really hard with soap and water. Then when you get out put the after bite on each then let that dry and then put on the nail polish. This stops the itching and the spreading because you cant itch through the polish. You can make it worse if u itch and night cause you can spread the rash.
rating: 5 (2 votes)
Submitted by brighten27 at 2007-06-18 00:50:47
My son got these chigger bites so bad on his private up front. I took him to the DR cause it caused it to swell. DR said to take claritin every 24 hours and Zantac 75 every 12 hours.. Does wonders, not sure how, but Dr. said it was the combination of the two medicines!!
rating: 5 (2 votes)
Submitted by Tosha at 2007-08-01 23:03:55
Dermoplast! It's a topical anesthetic that numbs the skin. It is only temporary, but it is wonderful! It will keep you from itching the area so they can heal quicker.
rating: 5 (4 votes)
Submitted by Bill at 2007-07-16 01:11:23
chigger bites are so uncomfortable.... my folks always put ammonia on a cotton ball and dabbed-rubbed this over the bite areas.. immediate relief.... probably should avoid sensitive areas or dilute a bit.. immediate, cheap, effective.
rating: 5 (4 votes)
Submitted at 2006-05-05 23:47:21
Use finger nail polish, make sure it is clear and put it on the chigger bite. The bite should go away in a few days.
rating: 4 (25 votes)
Submitted by john at 2007-07-15 17:53:03
Take a bath as soon as possible, rub some benadryl on the bite and just bear it. The bite weakens your skin so scratching it usually results in an open sore. If you scratch an open sore you can get a staph infection. Staph infections will cure itching but they can kill you too.
as always, good luck/have fun!
rating: 4 (4 votes)
Submitted at 2006-08-30 04:22:20
when i was in the army we had an FTX. Basically out in the wildernes somewhere for three days no showers no sleep no real toilets and tons of chiggers especially in south carolina. When we got back i had chigger bites all on my lower legs to my anckles(the chiggers got in my boots) My drill Sgt. gave me neosporen , rubbed that on morning and night and i kept myself from scratching and the less i scratched the less it itched and they where gone in a couple of days.
rating: 3 (5 votes)
Submitted by jim at 2004-08-13 00:24:16
Use Super Clean (engine cleaner). Take a napkin and dab it into the Super Clean and gently apply to the irritated areas. Follow up with a thourough bath or shower. AVOID PRIVATE AND SENSITIVE AREAS!!!
rating: 3 (19 votes)
Submitted at 2005-09-08 12:42:06
i was told that if you wash with rid x let dry on skin use caladryl lotion once dried then use rid x two days from then they will clear up quickly within a day or two after second washing
rating: 3 (14 votes)
Submitted by Rach at 2007-08-19 08:11:49
Put Neosporin ointment on the bites to help the healing process and prevent infection.
Wrap an ace bandage over the site to cut off the air. The air is what makes it itch.
I just got my first night of sleep thanks to the ace bandage!
(Thank you to everyone on this site for contributing their ideas too.)
rating: 0 (0 votes)
Submitted by Nature Boy Willow at 2008-04-01 05:09:49
I went to cvs our local drug store and bought a bottle of chigarid, it helps for about 2-3 hours tops and its very expensive too considering i had them from the waist down. so i was told by a friend to use kerosene and i tried it. it worked great no more itching for 1 whole day, although you smell like kerosene for the day. Also if you plan to go into the woods a good way to prevent chiggers and ticks from attacking you is spray your legs and boots with a high concentrated mixture of garlic and water. it will keep them off you. Much safer than spraying yourself with that chemical [ DEET ] found in most insect repelants. I also found that wiping youself down with a fabric softner sheet will keep the gnats from biting you on those hot summer days.
rating: 0 (0 votes)
Submitted by Lynda at 2008-04-17 11:21:09
I had some Flanders Buttocks Cream and remebered the Buttpaste remedy. Used the Flanders on my 4 year old daughter's back throughout the day and she was relieved immediately! They started to shrink and the redness started to go away by bedtime. Thanks for the buttpaste remedy!
rating: 0 (0 votes)
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