Monday, August 06, 2007

Chiggers

This last weekend we had the rare opportunity to camp out at Shawnee Mission Park. The park doesn't allow camping -- unless your group is the Boy Scouts (or another similar youth organization). There is a special Boy Scout Camping Area just off the mountain bike trail and the fire road. This is, literally, primitive camping with no water, latrines, etc. The spots available for tents are far from level, you just find the best spot and set up your tent. Here's mine:

I had thought about taking a shot of Curtis' ankles -- or mine for that matter. We have so many chigger bites that we're both miserable. Antihistamines and hydrocortisone cream mute the itching a bit for an hour or two before the horrible itching comes back.

I used to get chigger bites in the summer due to all the running around in bare feet that we did. I never had it as bad as I do now and Curtis' bites are twice as bad. Poor kid. I don’t remember how long it takes for this to run its course; hopefully not much longer. Now, excuse me, I have to go do my best not to scratch.

4 comments:

amidnightrider said...

Man, you scouts get all the good camp sites. Chiggers and all. Whatever the heck those are. Like mosquitoes I presume? Only bit-e-er.

amidnightrider said...

That's bite-e-er. or bitey er.

Warren T said...

Chiggers are the larval stage of Harvest Mites. They're more like ticks, except much, much smaller (almost invisible) and their bite is much, much, MUCH more itchy and painful than ticks or mosquitoes. Here is a GIS for "chigger bites" if you dare... The ones on the first page are WAY more spaced out than what we have.

Chigger bites

Jamie said...

A good way to kill off the chiggers that have burrowed into you, and therefore relieving some of the itch, is a trick I learned in the army down at Fort Knox (after I woke up from a night patrol with a whole slew of them on my arm): rub the whole area down with rubbing alcohol. Let it sit there for a few minutes, then clean it off. Worked for me, I swear.