Redbugs! Chiggers! Global warming!

We bought the house my father built in 1936. It is a shanty. He was a fisherman for a living. We enjoy it very much. I am providing a wildlife habitat here. We do not mow a lawn. Have native weeds, shrubs, butterfly host plants and natives for nectar. I have lived most of my life on this property (age 63). I have never gotten a redbug (chigger) here. Even though there are large Live Oaks with hanging spanish moss all over it. I have started getting redbug bites when I go outside to lock up my chickens for the night. I am embarrassed about it because we have such an untamed piece of property that is probably considered a blight to the neighborhood. Talking to my friend who lives 50 miles away. She asked if I had noticed animal/plant changes to indicate global warming. I told her I was eaten up with redbugs. She said her grandchildren played by a bush on her well-mowed lawn and got redbugs all over them. What should I do? I am having to spray deet on my pig farmer boots when I go out to my garden or chickens.

chiggers can start crawling on your clothing, but it won't eliminate the little bastards.

DEET is probably your best bet.

I don't mind the rattlesnakes and scorpions here in the desert when I remember my last attack by chiggers. Those are the meanest sons of bitches on the planet.

They're also the only creature in the animal kingdom that does not defecate. That probably has a lot to do with their rotten disposition.

If you do get bitten, the best thing for it is a heavy application of over the counter cortisone cream. Forget the nail polish, the little bastard bit and fled.

Here is a product that is wonderful for me:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2164036_use-lemon-eucalyptus-oil-as.html

It can be found at Amazon.

I also use it for bites, and the swelling goes down very fast.

DEET on boots will not cause problems, BTW.

If it's really chiggers, you need the cortisone. They inject digestive juices into the skin and suck out digested flesh. The bites that remain are a severe allergic reaction to their digestive juices.

Topical cortisone does not have systemic effects.