Chigger bites look a lot like mosquito bites and are often mistaken for
such. If someone has red whelps and didn’t notice mosquitoes flying around or
feel the bites, then the likely culprit would be the chigger.
In fact, chigger bites tend to be a bit larger and redder than mosquito
bites. While mosquito bites usually leave a pinkish-red spot, chiggers tend to
leave a more blood-red spot.
Chigger bites are often clustered like flea bites. This does not indicate
multiple bites. Chiggers congregate in areas where the skin in thin and easy to
puncture. This often includes private areas where the skin has not been
toughened by the sun. Since women and children tend to have thinner skin, they
are more often targets of chiggers.
Chiggers do not attack and then take off. They crawl on, latch on and stay.
It takes three to four days for a chigger to complete a meal, but most are
brushed or scratched off by humans before fully engorging. They, fortunately,
can’t grab back on and continue feeding. It’s a one shot deal.
While mosquitoes go for your blood, chiggers latch on and then feast on
skin. The skin is slowly liquefied and then digested.
If you mash your fingers on the outer edges of the red bite mark, the skin
will lighten considerably, and it’s quite possible to see the chigger embedded
in the center of the spot (or more likely—the feeding area which will also look
slightly darker than the skin). This center looks like a tiny red or brownish
colored dot. A quick swipe will remove the chigger (if it has not already been
brushed or scratched away), since the chigger is not buried but only attached.
Some people advocate swiping on fingernail polish to smother chiggers. This
is not necessary. If the mites are still on the skin, they can simply be wiped
away. More often the dark spot seen in the center of the red blemish is simply
the latch-on tube spot.
Chigger bites do not initially itch. It’s usually several hours before the
saliva of chiggers triggers the body to respond. Itching peaks the second or
third day, but the red spots often remain on the body and itch for up to two
weeks.