New use for yellow mustard.

[Beekissed]

Did you already paint them with fingernail polish?

 

[Denim Deb]

Did you already paint them with fingernail polish?

That doesn't work. I've tried it in the past. People do that because they believe the chiggers burrow under the skin-they don't. We're the wrong host, they bite us and die.

 

[Beekissed]

Hardening of the surrounding skin results in the formation of a feeding tube called a stylostome. Chigger larvae then feed upon the destroyed tissue. If they are not disturbed (which is rarely the case because of they cause substantial itching) they may feed through the stylostome for a few days.

I'm thinking that the painting with the polish may interrupt this whole cycle. I've done experiments over the years and find that the polish does indeed stop the ongoing inflammation and itching of the site....sites left untreated in this manner continue to itch for much, much longer. Now, I know that the polish has no qualities that would soothe inflammation or itch, so something physiological is happening there to interrupt the whole cycle.

Vinegar helps to soothe the site but the itching resumes each night...presumably due to these larvae? Maybe the polish kills them by depriving of O2? I've tried treating the site with an insecticide to no avail, various itch creams to no avail, vinegar provides temporary relief but doesn't stop the cycle.

 

[Denim Deb]

Many home remedies for chigger bites are based upon the incorrect belief that chiggers burrow into and remain in the skin. Nail polish, alcohol, and bleach have been applied to the bites to attempt to "suffocate" or kill the chiggers. But because the chiggers are not present in the skin, these methods are not effective.

It itched for 2 days as compared to well over a week. And, I've barely scratched at all today. So, it definately worked.