It’s now chigger season here in Sioux Falls, SD. That means it's time to brush up on your chigger knowledge because you’ll need to know what they are and what they’re capable of, so you can take the appropriate steps to deal with them. Chiggers are brightly colored, parasitic mites that hide in your grass, waiting for an opportunity to spring onto a passing host. Once they’ve latched onto a person or animal, they begin feeding, causing red welts and severe itching. These bites are a good indication that you may have an infestation on your property. So, if you believe chiggers are hiding in your lawn, then reach out to a professional pest control company to administer chigger control treatments!

What are chiggers and what do they do?

Red chigger bug found on debris in lawn in Jackson, NE.

Chiggers are parasitic mites that hatch in the spring and latch onto your grass or other vegetation on your property while they wait for a passing host. They prefer mild climates, so you’ll find that they’ll be more active in the summer. You can distinguish chiggers from other pests because they’ll be yellow, orange, or bright red. Once they find a suitable target, chiggers will dig into their host’s skin with their claws. Afterward, they’ll inject saliva into the opening which dissolves the skin cells, leaving behind a large, red welt. Their bites aren’t painful, but they can be incredibly itchy for a couple of days.

Keep your grass neatly trimmed to reduce the number of places chiggers can hide!

What are the signs that chiggers on your property?

Chiggers are incredibly small, so it can be difficult to spot them on your property. They normally won’t do anything to your turf, so there's no need to look for signs of lawn damage. Because they are hard to spot and they don't cause noticeable damage to your lawn, it can be difficult to tell if you have a chigger infestation. However, you can usually tell if chiggers are on your property if you notice bite marks after walking on or using your lawn. They will leave behind red, itchy welts, and these bites are usually found around the sock lines on your ankles, but they can sometimes be in other areas like around the waist or even behind the knees.

Loose-fitting, tightly woven fabrics offer the best protection against chiggers because it limits their movement through your clothes.

Call a professional pest control company to get rid of a chigger infestation.

Professional applying pesticide treatment around lawn in North Sioux City, SD.

If you find yourself facing a chigger infestation, then you should reach out to a professional pest control company to deal with them. Pest control companies will have the knowledge and the experience to know what areas need to be treated. The professionals you hire will be able to systematically target any areas that chiggers are known to hide in to eliminate them from your property. These companies will also have the proper equipment and will apply treatments that are proven to work, meaning you don’t have to worry about the treatment being ineffective. Some professional pest control companies will even visit your property multiple times to keep chiggers from coming back throughout the season.

Call us today to schedule our chigger control treatments!

Keep you and your family safe from a chigger infestation by hiring us to evict them from your property! At Sharp Lawn Care, we use a highly effective surface insecticide treatment on your lawn to get rid of any chiggers on your property. After your property is treated, then all you need to do is wait an hour for the product to dry, and you can safely use your lawn again. We offer our chigger control treatments to property owners in the Sioux Falls, SD area, including Tea and Harrisburg. If you're in this area, then call us at (605) 251-6880 to schedule our chigger control treatments. We also service properties in the Sioux City, IA area. If you're in this area, then give us a call at (712) 253-8024 to schedule our chigger control treatments.