how to get rid of chiggers in your home

3 Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Chiggers From Inside Your House

Before we look at what works, let's examine what doesn't work. Home remedies, such as putting nail polish on a chigger bite, are the product of misinformation and urban legend. When you begin getting red bumps on your exposed skin, and you suspect chigger bites, the damage has already been done.

Scratching at the bug bites and blisters will probably kill the chiggers but it won't stop the itching. At that point, focus on relief measures such as hydrocortisone cream, calamine lotion, or any over-the-counter antihistamine.

A hot shower or bath with soapy water will get rid of the chiggers and clean any debris out of the wound. This is important because chigger bites can also pass on secondary infections if they're not properly sanitized. Pay special attention to nearby hair follicles.

Now, let's look at the pest control methods you can use against a chigger infestation.

Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent

This bug spray uses Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) as the active ingredient. It's one of the few all-natural ingredients approved by the EPA for use as a repellent against biting bugs of all kinds. It will repel bugs for up to six hours before it has to be reapplied.

It's meant to be sprayed on human skin and is safe for children over three years old. It comes in a shatter-proof pump spray bottle. For your face, spray it in your hands then rub it into your cheeks, forehead, and neck.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is composed of the fossilized shells of diatoms, microscopic sea creatures. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is edible and often used to treat digestive problems, as well as being used for pest control.

It's a fine powder that acts as a desiccant to dehydrate bugs that crawl across it. Chiggers are so small that any loss of moisture in their bodies is fatal to them. To use it, spread a fine layer of the powder around the cracks and crevices where chiggers might get into our house.

Spread it lightly around the windows and doors too.

Bug Soother Spray

The active ingredient in this all-natural bug spray is lemongrass essential oil. It has been tested for effectiveness against mosquitoes and flies. By extension, it also works against chiggers to a certain extent. However, it will need to be reapplied fairly often.

It is made in the United States and blended with vanilla, water, glycerin, castor oil, and Vitamin E It has an amazing scent. People love the scent but bugs don't. This DEET-free repellent kit includes an extra 1-ounce travel kit size.

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3 Additional Remedies to Get Rid of Chiggers From Inside Your House

Sawyer Products Premium Insect Repellent

This repellent uses a 20% concentration of Picaridin, a pesticide created as an alternative to DEET. Many people claim it works better than DEET. It is effective against chiggers for up to eight hours at a time.

It is free of any fragrance and can safely be used on clothes, fishing and camping equipment, watch faces, sunglasses, and many synthetic materials. It is made from a group of plants that are normally used to make black pepper.

Repel HG-94108 100 Insect Repellent (DEET)

The active ingredient here is DEET, the original repellent developed in 1946 by the United States Army. It has been used by hundreds of millions of people since then, giving it the longest, most successful track record of any insect repellent in the world.

It can safely be used on your clothes, fishing lines, watches, sunglasses, tents, shoes, and skin. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends not using it on infants under two months old, but admits in the same sentence the EPA hasn't issued any age limits for its use.

Tempo Ultra SC 240 ML Multi Use Pest Control Insecticide

Tempo is a professional pesticide used day in and day out by pest control technicians all across the United States. It comes in a concentrated form that has to be diluted with water (instructions on the label) before using it. It does have a slight odor.

You'll need a 1-gallon pump-up sprayer to mix and spray it. Be aware though, using a professional pesticide obligates you to follow professional guidelines to use it. In the pesticide industry, the label is the law and you need to follow it exactly.

Once it's properly mixed, spray the baseboards around the entire house, as well as the cracks and crevices around the windows and doors. After it dries, this professional-strength pesticide will keep killing bugs for up to 90 days.

3 Bonus Remedies to Get Rid of Chiggers From Outside Your Home

Wondercide EcoTreat - Natural Outdoor Pest Control Concentrate

This is an all-natural pesticide based on cedarwood essential oils. 16 ounces of concentrate will make two gallons of the finished product, which will cover 8,000 square feet of your yard.

You'll need to spray it from a 1-gallon pump-up sprayer. Start at the foundation of the house then circle the house is a gradually widening spiral until you've covered the entire yard, front, back, and both sides. Don't skip the driveway, sidewalks, porches, or flowerbeds.

Be sure to spray around and under the garbage cans. Spray the sides of the garbage cans too. Essential oil-based repellents can be an effective means of pest control if you use them properly.

The only limitation is that essential oils can easily be washed away by the first hard rain. You'll have to respray each time it rains.

Delta Dust

Delta Dust is another professional pesticide, this time a fine dry dust like talcum powder or baby powder. It requires the use of a bulb duster. The active ingredient is Deltamethrin, a synthetic chemical insecticide. It doesn't dissolve in water and last for up to nine months.

Shake up the duster, place the tip of the wand/tube at a crack or crevice and give the bulb a sharp squeeze. It will jet a fine cloud of dust into the crack where it will cover everything. Any bug crawling through the crack will come in contact with it and die.

The powder tends to clump sometimes so it's helpful to put a nickel or small marble inside the duster to break up the clumps each time you shake it. Delta Dust will kill all sorts of insects, spiders, and bugs.

Talstar PL Granules Insecticide

These Bifenthrin-based granules are a professional pesticide that is water activated. You'll need to use a hand-powered spreader to spread the granules around the yard. Spread the granules in gradually increasing spiral around the house until you've covered the entire yard.

If the weather forecast doesn't predict rain for the week after you spread the granules, lightly water the lawn to active them. 5-10 minutes should be enough for each section until you've watered the entire yard. The granules will last for 90 days.