My yard has become a breeding ground for chiggers so badly that you take
your sanity into your hands when you go outside for any length of time.
Does anyone have a good remedy they will share? I hate the little *******s
and will kill them using whatever means necessary but before I drop a poisen
bomb on them I'd *much* rather try a more nature-friendly alternative.

Thanks,
Chris

Hey Chris, a few weeks ago I also had this problem. I did a little
research on it and found that you can control chiggers or as I have
always called them "redbugs" with diazinon or dursban. I never found any
organic treatment for them. You can protect yourself with "Off" or some
other insect repellent and it works pretty good. They love brush, tall
weeds and bermuda grass. If you keep your grass cut short it should
help. Hope this has helped some.

Alan

Thanks very much for the info, Alan. I was really hoping for a more
envirn-friendly solution but at this point it is all out war. Maybe someone
has another solution but if not, diazinon it is.
Thanks again,
Chris



"Scruffy Dog" wrote in message
...
Hey Chris, a few weeks ago I also had this problem. I did a little
research on it and found that you can control chiggers or as I have
always called them "redbugs" with diazinon or dursban. I never found any
organic treatment for them. You can protect yourself with "Off" or some
other insect repellent and it works pretty good. They love brush, tall
weeds and bermuda grass. If you keep your grass cut short it should
help. Hope this has helped some.

Alan

Please don't use those neurotoxins. Diazinon was taken off the market, so I am
not sure you can even get it any more. It's that toxic, it was pulled.

Try this first:

Try elemental sulfur on the site at 5 lbs. per 1,000 square feet. Also spray
Garden-Ville Auntie Fuego or other orange oil-based product. Treat your bites
with full strength orange oil, vinegar or comfrey juice fresh from the stems of
the plants


On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 04:13:16 GMT, "Chris" opined:

Thanks very much for the info, Alan. I was really hoping for a more
envirn-friendly solution but at this point it is all out war. Maybe someone
has another solution but if not, diazinon it is.
Thanks again,
Chris



"Scruffy Dog" wrote in message
...
Hey Chris, a few weeks ago I also had this problem. I did a little
research on it and found that you can control chiggers or as I have
always called them "redbugs" with diazinon or dursban. I never found any
organic treatment for them. You can protect yourself with "Off" or some
other insect repellent and it works pretty good. They love brush, tall
weeds and bermuda grass. If you keep your grass cut short it should
help. Hope this has helped some.

Alan






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http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 12:42:54 GMT, escapee
wrote:

Try elemental sulfur on the site at 5 lbs. per 1,000 square feet.

I have spread sulfur dust on a number of occassions and it has worked
well, mostly for fleas. You need to exercise a little care though.
Sulfur dust breaks down to sulfur dioxide and will stink. Use old
clothes when you spread it and wash and dry them separately. Also,
stay out of the area treated for a day or so.

Sulfur dust is also flammable so avoid ignition sources while you are
applying it.

Rusty Mase

Thanks. I'll try this first.

BTW, it's not just my confort that is the issue. I have a hairless dog and
it gets covered in them while doing her business outside. At last count she
has 32 current bites.
Chris



"Rusty Mase" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 12:42:54 GMT, escapee
wrote:

Try elemental sulfur on the site at 5 lbs. per 1,000 square feet.

I have spread sulfur dust on a number of occassions and it has worked
well, mostly for fleas. You need to exercise a little care though.
Sulfur dust breaks down to sulfur dioxide and will stink. Use old
clothes when you spread it and wash and dry them separately. Also,
stay out of the area treated for a day or so.

Sulfur dust is also flammable so avoid ignition sources while you are
applying it.

Rusty Mase

On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 16:10:18 GMT, "Chris" wrote:

BTW, it's not just my confort that is the issue. I have a hairless dog and
it gets covered in them while doing her business outside. At last count she
has 32 current bites.

I think the sulfur affects small insects like chiggers and fleas both
with inhaled sulfur dust and inhaled sulfur dioxide. Most insects
breath through small pores in their sides and cannot escape the sulfur
fumes. So the stink is part of the cure.

It will not hurt anything that I know of and you can put the dust on
your socks and skin if you want to use it as a repellent. It is just
that you have to isolate your house from your yard temporarily and
avoid contaminating your other clothes with the stink.

As kids in the 1950's we used to make ourselves insect proof by
getting pharmaceutical grade sulfur, putting it in empty pill capsules
and swallowing the pills. Of course our body odor was likely enough
to run everything off.

Rusty Mase

When I did field work, we'd always keep 'sulfur socks' in the back of
the truck when it was warm out. Pour a bag of sulfur in an old long
sock, knot the top of the sock, then beat it against the bottom half
of our legs before setting off across a field.

Never, ever, had chiggers those years. Growing up in Dallas, they were
just part of the summer -- kept mom's (hopefully clear) fingernail
polish handy and off we'd go...but not one bite after acquiring my
first sulfur sock. Hmmm, wonder just whose old sock that was?

I did once get Poison Ivy so bad I had to go to a minor ER...but
that's a different story :)

John

"Rusty Mase" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 16:10:18 GMT, "Chris"
wrote:

BTW, it's not just my confort that is the issue. I have a hairless
dog and
it gets covered in them while doing her business outside. At last
count she
has 32 current bites.

I think the sulfur affects small insects like chiggers and fleas
both
with inhaled sulfur dust and inhaled sulfur dioxide. Most insects
breath through small pores in their sides and cannot escape the
sulfur
fumes. So the stink is part of the cure.

It will not hurt anything that I know of and you can put the dust on
your socks and skin if you want to use it as a repellent. It is
just
that you have to isolate your house from your yard temporarily and
avoid contaminating your other clothes with the stink.

As kids in the 1950's we used to make ourselves insect proof by
getting pharmaceutical grade sulfur, putting it in empty pill
capsules
and swallowing the pills. Of course our body odor was likely enough
to run everything off.

Rusty Mase

Oh dear, the dogs little paws may be disturbed by the sulfur. Maybe you should
call the dog's vet for advice. Hairless dogs are sweet and delicate. I'd hate
for any harm to come to her.

V


On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 16:10:18 GMT, "Chris" opined:

Thanks. I'll try this first.

BTW, it's not just my confort that is the issue. I have a hairless dog and
it gets covered in them while doing her business outside. At last count she
has 32 current bites.
Chris



"Rusty Mase" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 12:42:54 GMT, escapee
wrote:

Try elemental sulfur on the site at 5 lbs. per 1,000 square feet.

I have spread sulfur dust on a number of occassions and it has worked
well, mostly for fleas. You need to exercise a little care though.
Sulfur dust breaks down to sulfur dioxide and will stink. Use old
clothes when you spread it and wash and dry them separately. Also,
stay out of the area treated for a day or so.

Sulfur dust is also flammable so avoid ignition sources while you are
applying it.

Rusty Mase




Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

Here is a link to a chigger info page from a company which I have used in
the past. According to them Permethrin kills chiggars and is safe to use
around children and pets.

http://pestproducts.com/chiggers.htm


BTW -- if you have any type of flea problem, they also sell Archer IGR
(insect growth regulator). This is the same IGR used in Biospot. It was
highly recommended by my vet, but they were under the impression that you
have to be a professional exterminator to apply it. You don't, it's just
hard to find.

http://www.pestproducts.com/archer.htm

You can research Archer (Nylar) by its chemical name pyriproxyfen. Oh yeah,
it is effective against roaches and fire ants also!

"Chris" wrote in message
...
My yard has become a breeding ground for chiggers so badly that you take
your sanity into your hands when you go outside for any length of time.
Does anyone have a good remedy they will share? I hate the little
*******s
and will kill them using whatever means necessary but before I drop a
poisen
bomb on them I'd *much* rather try a more nature-friendly alternative.

Thanks,
Chris

And here's a website to dispute the claim it is safe around children and pets.

http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pest...report/cox.htm

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 16:08:54 -0500, "Robbin" opined:

Here is a link to a chigger info page from a company which I have used in
the past. According to them Permethrin kills chiggars and is safe to use
around children and pets.

http://pestproducts.com/chiggers.htm


BTW -- if you have any type of flea problem, they also sell Archer IGR
(insect growth regulator). This is the same IGR used in Biospot. It was
highly recommended by my vet, but they were under the impression that you
have to be a professional exterminator to apply it. You don't, it's just
hard to find.

http://www.pestproducts.com/archer.htm

You can research Archer (Nylar) by its chemical name pyriproxyfen. Oh yeah,
it is effective against roaches and fire ants also!

"Chris" wrote in message
.. .
My yard has become a breeding ground for chiggers so badly that you take
your sanity into your hands when you go outside for any length of time.
Does anyone have a good remedy they will share? I hate the little
*******s
and will kill them using whatever means necessary but before I drop a
poisen
bomb on them I'd *much* rather try a more nature-friendly alternative.

Thanks,
Chris






Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html