How to Get Rid of Chiggers in Bed
Sometimes when you go to enjoy the outdoors, such as playing football, jogging in the park, or even tending to your garden, you may also start getting an itchy rash. This nuisance is from chigger bites. Other people may know chiggers by other names like red bugs, berry bugs, or harvest bugs or mites. However, although people call them bugs, chiggers are not insects but are instead arachnids, like spiders and ticks. Moreover, it is the larval chiggers that bite, not the adults.
When chiggers bite, they insert enzymes into the skin that destroy tissue. The chiggers then feed on the destroyed tissue. Symptoms of chigger bites appear between 1 and 3 hours after they injected the enzyme. The bitten area is itchy and may appear red and raised. The itchiness can last for several days while the rash-like appearance can last for 1 or 2 weeks. If there are several bites, people may mistake them for eczema or allergic contact dermatitis.
Chiggers are microscopic, and you may only see one using a magnifying glass. However, you may be able see them when they are clumped together. You can commonly find them in forests and grassland. Chiggers attach to people and animals as they pass by. Because it is hard to notice them, you may unknowingly bring chiggers into your home. An annoying situation is when they end up in your bed. The bites can keep you awake at night. Fortunately, there are ways on how to get rid of chiggers in bed.
1. Sprinkle Sulfur
Sulfur is a repellent people commonly use on insects and arachnids, so it works well against chiggers. You can buy sulfur as a powder and sprinkle it on places infested by chiggers. You can also buy it as an aqueous emultsion so you can spray it. Be careful though, since some people may find sulfur irritating to the skin, eyes and throat. Wear protective gear such as gloves, masks, and goggles when applying sulfur. Side effect though is the smell. Sulfur is what you smell from rotten eggs. However, a proper laundry can fix that after you get rid of those chiggers.3
2. Essential Oils
If you do not want to use sulfur, you can use mixtures of essential oils instead. Essential oils that naturally repel pests include lemon eucalyptus, lemongrass, lavender, and citronella. Many commercial repellents use these essential oils as the active ingredient. Besides your sheets, you can also more safely apply these repellents on your skin than you can with sulfur.
3. Hot Washing and Drying
Thoroughly wash all your pillows and sheets as well as any fabric that has been exposed to chiggers in the hottest temperatures they can tolerate. Use bleach where it is appropriate. Dry all the fabrics in the hottest temperature possible. The hot temperatures, as well as the water, soap, and bleach, should kill and wash the chiggers away. Include your shoes if they are also washable.
4. Get Things Steaming
Just as how hot soapy water can kill and wash away chiggers, so can steam. It is advisable to use a commercial steam cleaner as a way on how to get rid of chiggers in bed. A typical handheld steam cleaner may not have the power to get the job done. Move the steam cleaner slowly over your bed, sheets, pillow, and everywhere else that may have chiggers.
5. Wash and Vacuum
Chiggers can crawl, so it is also advisable to wash and vacuum the floor and carpet in the surrounding area near your bed.
Keeping Chiggers Away
Now that you know how to get rid of chiggers in bed, you do not want to let it happen. You can take steps to keep them from getting in your home again.
6. Wear the Proper Clothing
If you can, wear loose-fitting clothes made of tightly woven fabric. Wear a long-sleeved shirt and tuck it into your pants. If you can wear boots with laces, tuck your pants into your boots and lace them tightly. If you will just wear regular shoes, you can tuck your pants into your socks.
7. Shower and Launder
After coming home, immediately wash your clothes in hot soapy water. Include your shoes too if they are washable. Afterwards, have a hot shower yourself and thoroughly scrub the areas where chiggers tend to bite. Chiggers favor areas that are easily penetrable, such as wrinkles and folds. Many bites occur around ankles, the crotch and groin areas, behind the knees, and in the armpits.
8. Wear Pest Repellent
You can use repellents with DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) and Permethrin. You can apply these products on your skin and even clothing, but be sure to still follow the instruction. You can also use sulfur and essential oils as stated before.
Conclusion
Chigger bites are annoying, so save yourself from the troubles by taking precautions whenever ou go outside. If ever they invade your home, especially your bed, at least now you know how to get rid of chiggers in bed or anywhere else.
