Chiggers

Chiggers are tiny mites that live in areas with grass or brush. Chiggers, also known as red bugs or harvest mites, usually cannot be seen without a magnifying glass.

Chiggers attach to skin pores and feed on skin cells for a few days, most often in the warm creases of the body. In the United States chiggers do not cause any diseases; however, some types of chiggers in Asia and the Pacific carry a disease called scrub typhus.

Chigger bites can result in:

• Intense itching at the bite site beginning a few hours after the bite. Itching may be at its worst on the second day and may last for days or weeks.
• A raised bump that gets bigger over 24 to 48 hours and may be present for up to 14 days.
• Less commonly, fever and a rash.

Home treatment can help relieve itching. The mites will fall off the body within a few days.