Chiggers, coffee, seedlings, gardens, hummers, etc.

Steve, we likewise have up two feeders right now, one red and one yellow. Our first hummers showed up on the 18th, and they seem to be equally attracted to both of the feeders.

My mom has two on her front porch that she refilled early Sat. morning. We got back to her house Sat aft. and one was just about empty from all of the bees swarming around it. They were mostly at one station but it was covered.

This was a new feeder and I wondered if maybe that station was leaking and that's why they were swarming to it. She has never had that problem before with any of her feeders.

Baby guineas will eat chiggers like a kid with M&M's.

(I dunno about anyone else.)

Cold packs,instant tea poultices,cortisone,anti-histamines,vinegar,calamine,benzyl benzoate,jewel weed,tea tree oil and oatmeal are some of the remedies that can help the bites.

(But,I think the irritation may have to wear off,really.)

There ought to be a law that no one can become a snack for a blood-drinker unless the one doing the biting is charming,heroic,attractive,sleeps days and casts no reflection.

Not sure Steve. They were hanging over a flower box plus I didn't try to get too close. We went in the back door. HA!

Steve,

For the chiggers, start a hot bath and pour epsom salt in the tub. Soak in it for a while. That will usually kill the chiggers. You may still itch a little, but you won't have to worry about the same chiggers getting you again. Sometimes I have to soak twice.

By the way, chiggers don't bite.

I found some Pineapple Sage at the Wal-Mart in Smyrna. I haven't planted it yet, but if there is more than one, I'll bring it to the next meeting.

Anyone have experience with 'Bee Balm'? It said it was a relative of the mint family and I want to make sure it doesn't spread like most mint.

Terminating them is my concern, The itch is irritating, but I can work through it, I just don't want more, so Epsom salt will be tried tonight. Last night Debbi painted me with fingernail polish. Not a pretty site.

I went looking for my Bee Balm seeds when you asked the question, but I think I planted them already in with my wildflowers. I never felt they were invasive, but I tend to be lenient with volunteers.

Some people DO consider it mildly invasive, so I think it might depend on how hospitable your soils and micro-environment is to it. Mine has actually disappeared, so that is why I am reseeding. Hmmmm, maybe I was inhospitable.

What exactly DO chiggers do? I keep forgetting so maybe I really don't want to know. I am not sure if I have ever actually seen one, just felt their activity.

I have tried some store treatments, but that seems to feed them and they get me again. Do regular tea bags help? Green tea or dark?

That is an interesting article, but it made me wonder if the welts are really from chiggers so I went to research jigger flea or the chigoe as they referenced. These are apparently in sandy soil in the tropics, so we do not qualify. Sooo we are back to the chigger.

The bottom line from the article is to wear tight clothing, remove the clothing and wash both you and clothing as soon as possible and if you get bit, anti itch ointments is about all you can do except wait and DON'T SCRATCH.

Another precaution is to use a deterrent application that you might use for tick or mosquitoes, OR a sulfur product which might repel people as well.

I take a lot of garlic ( which can also repel people) and I rarely get bit and Debbi doesn't and she ALWAYS gets bit, even if it is snowing! BUT this time, I GOT BIT or fed upon or whatever the technical term is and it ITCHES!