Titus 2 Homemakers

The Barn and Fields => Gardening => : greyhoundgirl July 01, 2016, 06:34:15 AM

: Chiggers
: greyhoundgirl July 01, 2016, 06:34:15 AM
We have chiggers, bad.  :(  In our backyard.  We've gotten them hiking before, but never on this scale.  Looking for ways to eradicate them from the yard, preferably non-toxic.  We do have some IG regulator stuff to spray, considered safe as these things to, and I've seen that it helps with other insects in addition to fleas, but have seen no mention of it helping chiggers.  We'll probably spray it regardless as fleas are bad this year, but if you know something specific to help with chiggers, I'm all ears.

In the meantime, I'm following tips to wear long pants (sad, as it's in the upper 90's with high humidity) with my hiking boots, pants tucked into socks, shirt tucked into pants.  Essential oils dotted around ankles and waist.
: Re: Chiggers
: Rooney July 01, 2016, 09:16:08 AM
Catherine, we get them in the yard sometimes too.  We don't use sprays of any type either.  The only thing we do is to mow and weed eat several times a week and  start keeping everywhere in the yard really, really manicured.  I don't think any bug, no matter how small, likes being mowed, but.....we don't have bushes and plants of other types planted throughout the yard either, if you do that may not work completely, but you should at least be able to walk out through the mowed area of your yard without picking them up.  Lots of mowing got rid of it for us, but I think it also has to do with the amount of rain you get.  Like once it got hot and dry for a while, if we kept the lawn short everywhere (up next to everything and around everything) they seem to go away on their own.  Sorry you guys have this.  IMO there is not much that is more aggravating than chiggers once you get them on you.  We have already been through one round of them this year and I am hoping that is it.  If you are looking for an immediate fix, I don't really know what that would be.  Hope they find there way back out of your yard and the itching doesn't drive you crazy in the meantime.
: Re: Chiggers
: greyhoundgirl July 10, 2016, 07:26:49 AM
Well, our yard is only about 1/6th of an acre, including the house, so it's all mowed except the garden beds and flower beds.  All of that is in raised beds.  We usually would be hot and dry by now, but this year we've been hot and humid instead.  Not quite as hot as usual, only upper 90's for the most part.