Chigger Socks
There's noooo itch like chiggers and there's a reason for that… although the larvae are extremely small in size, their bites pack a powerful punch. Chiggers have claws that help them grab onto skin from where they live — tall weeds and grass, in berry patches and in wooded areas. They may be in your backyard, by the lake, and clustered along your favorite hiking trail. They are most active on spring, summer and fall afternoons, when temperatures are warm and inviting. They can quickly attach to your skin if you walk by and brush up against vegetation where they live. They make their way to warm, moist areas of the body, then attach their mouths to the skin and inject saliva. The saliva contains an enzyme that breaks skin cells down to liquid form and your body responds by hardening skin cells around the saliva, creating a tube, or a stylostome through which the chigger sucks the host’s body fluids. Chiggers can stay attached and feeding for several days and usually ...