Travel is one of the greatest ways to experience the natural world and broaden your understanding of cultures. Unfortunately, there are a number of ways one’s wanderlust could backfire. One such instance are encounters with biting insects. In my time on this Earth, I’ve had the misfortune to come into contact with a good portion of pesky critters, but I’ve also been blessed to escape with (most) of my sanity intact, and live to tell the tale.

My recent outing to the Rocky Mountains this May(which will be described in another post ) exposed yours truly to the pest known as chiggers, aka red bugs, which are a type of parasitic microscopic mite that feed on animal and human tissue.

Due to their small size, it’s been noted that you can’t see chiggers before they get ahold of your clothes and begin to wreak havok on your skin. They can cause an itchy red rash within about 48 hours of exposure, and could take about 2 weeks for symptoms to fully reside.

I’ve done some digging(and not just at my thigh with my fingernails), and have discovered this much:

•that a hot bath(I used a bath bomb) helped immensely in reducing the irritation caused by the bites.

•cortisone cream and lotion helps to keep the itchiness at a more manageable level.

•Also, washing sheets and clothing in hot water helps to rid yourself of them there, as well as applying an antiparasitic bedding spray to surfaces such as matresses and car seats can help to reduce incidence of reinfestation; because like bedbugs, chiggers can linger for a while on bedding and clothes and continue to bother you. Fortunately, they don’t appear to hang around like bedbugs or fleas do, and are not nearly as invasive, and usually die off or move in in a couple of days.

• also, it’s advised that when backpacking in the mountains or other rural areas, to cover up your body, and definitely DO NOT wear a skirt  (Yes I was that person, and I knew better. My pain is to hopefully become your gain.)

All in all, a lesson learned, and one I should like to never have to repeat!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and I hope it helps you or someone you know!

---

More posts

• Travel Issues: Chiggers
• On the matter of happiness; a musing
• From the Kitchen: Keto Breakfast Wraps
• Kudzu, The Vine That Ate the South: A tale of Drought, War, and Fighting Hunger
• Defining Success: It’s all About Perspective

---

Despite the insect bites and the lack of sleep, I tend to enjoy what I do. If I may, I’ll be producing more content for y’all in the weeks and months ahead, and hopefully for years to come. If you feel like giving to this cause, I added a button below to do so.