Chiggers are unlike most pests in that their life-span. Most will live from 50-70 days but an adult female can live up to 1 year producing offspring during this time. Chiggers are usually a problem in late spring and summer in areas where weeds have overgrown. They stay on grass stems, leaves and shrubbery usually in damp, shaded spots near the top of different objects close to the soil. Young chiggers attach themselves to the skin of people, domestic animals and birds. The preferred feeding locations on people are parts of the body where clothing fits tightly over the skin such as around the belt line, waistline and under socks.

Treating areas where chiggers congregate can be less expensive than treating your entire place. To find an area where they may be, try placing a black cloth or cardboard on the ground. Any chiggers in that area will congregate on the paper.

To treat them, use sevin dust or diazinon in a spray or granule in the areas where that stay. Other applications may be necessary in a few weeks or after heavy rains.

Believe it or not, one of the main insects that feed on chiggers are fire ants. So if you have plenty of fire ants, chiggers may not be that much of a problem.

My quote of the week comes from Josh Billings. It reads, Advice is like castor oil; easy to give, but dreadful uneasy to take."