CHIGGERS and BLACK, BRUSED TOES

[Crazy_Al]

There are 2 things that cause my section hiking to be uncomfortable; they are CHIGGERS and BLACK, BRUSED TOES. I use 29% DEET and still get chigger bites. What do you recommend to eliminate these problems ????

[girlnextdoor]

There are 2 things that cause my section hiking to be uncomfortable; they are CHIGGERS and BLACK, BRUSED TOES. I use 29% DEET and still get chigger bites. What do you recommend to eliminate these problems ????

Every time I hear the word 'chigger' a cold chill runs down my spine!
Redwood and I got chiggers in Arkansas trying to hike the Ozark Highlands Trail and I've never felt so terrible!
We couldn't get off the trail fast enough and even when we got to town they were still all over us. (And they do get ALL over if you get my drift)

Bleh. It was terrible. I wouldn't wish that on anybody!!

[4eyedbuzzard]

A sulphur based repellent like http://www.chiggaway.com/index.html might help.

What are you hiking in shoe wise? Shoe fit and construction would be the first place to look for an answer. Make sure toenails are trimmed properly as well. Hiking poles or a staff might help too. Usually the toe problems are caused by sliding into the front of the shoe/boot on the downhills.

[wahoo]

4eyedbuzzard is on the right track, more than likely your footwear aint fittin' right. Unless you are doing the riverdance on your section hikes....!

[take-a-knee]

Chigg-Away or sulpher and baby powder. Also treat your clothing with Permethrin.

[4eyedbuzzard]

BTW, if your toes are truely black and perhaps numb(not just bruised blue or black under the toenail) you need to see a doctor right away. Black means dead tissue and it needs immediate professional care - like go to the ER. Diabetics and to a lesser extent smokers are at greater risk for toe and feet problems. Don't mess around with it. It could ruin more than just a hike.

[le loupe]

Ya know- i played in the woods everyday as a kid.

How come I never got chiggers as a kid?

[Crazy_Al]

Repel! (Permanone Insect Repellent) (0.5%) (clothes only)
General Clothing Instructions: This product must not be applied to clothing while it is being worn. Under no circumstances should bare skin or clothing on the body be treated. For protection against ticks (including those, which may carry Lyme disease), chiggers and mosquitoes, apply product as directed below. For further protection, us in conjunction with an insect repellent registered for direct application to the skin and utilize the following primary preventive measures. Avoid walking in areas where the pests are found, wear appropriate protective clothing (light-colored, long-sleeved shirt and long pants tucked into socks and inspect body daily for ticks. Pants cuffs should be worn inside the socks or footwear to ensure full protection against ticks and chiggers.
Initial Treatment Instructions:

Select a well-ventilated outdoor area protected from wind and lay out the clothing to be treated (as complete outfit: shirt, trousers and socks)
Hold container upright about 6 to 8 inches from surface of the clothing and spray with a slow sweeping motion to lightly moisten the surface of the fabric
Continue spraying over entire outfit, until a total treatment time of 60 seconds has elapsed and the outer surface of the fabric is moist enough to cause a slight color change or darkening. Pay special attention to socks, trouser cuffs and shirt cuffs.
Turn the clothing over and treat the other side as described in step 2 & 3
Hang the treated clothing and allow to dry for at least 2 hours (4 hours under humid conditions) before wearing
Three ounces will treat one complete outfit. Do not exceed recommended spraying times.

[rafe]

Gaiters might help with the chiggers...

[take-a-knee]

Ya know- i played in the woods everyday as a kid.

How come I never got chiggers as a kid?

Obviously there were no chiggers where you played.

[River Runner]

Ya know- i played in the woods everyday as a kid.

How come I never got chiggers as a kid?

Around here chiggers are more common in grass or brushy areas than in forested areas.

[WalkingStick75]

I was at an AT conference several years ago in VA and was told from the local hiking club never to sit directly on the ground, Cut a square from an old closed cell sleepnig pad and sit on that to prevent chiggers.

[Christopher Robin]

Your Deet need to be much stronger. Deep Woods Off is 100%.

[leeki pole]

Around here chiggers are more common in grass or brushy areas than in forested areas.
Very true. Our rule down here is the first rain after the first of June brings those little buggers out in force. I second the deep woods Off on boots and socks, it's about 90% effective for me when I work the dogs in the field. Still, some of those rascals find a way to get through the gauntlet.
When you get bit, clear fingernail polish or peroxide seems to clear up the bites pretty quickly.

[Lilred]

if anything, clear nail polish helps with the itch. I read a consumer's report that said OFF's Sportsman's with deet is the best for keeping away biting insects.

I never got chiggers growing up either, but I grew up in mid-Michigan, and I don't think there was a big chigger population. Just like there is hardly any ticks and fleas. I never got a tick till I moved to Tennessee, and I grew up on a lake in the woods. I think the colder, longer the winter, the less likely these pests are ...........pesty.

[leeki pole]

And my wife does not know what I go through to get her fresh blackberries for her cereal, those redbugs love blackberry bushes.;)

[le loupe]

I never got chiggers growing up either, but I grew up in mid-Michigan, and I don't think there was a big chigger population. Just like there is hardly any ticks and fleas. I never got a tick till I moved to Tennessee, and I grew up on a lake in the woods. I think the colder, longer the winter, the less likely these pests are ...........pesty.

That's what I'm wondering if in the past 25 years climate change hasnt increased there prevalence here in south Jersey. Winter are getting milder & milder all the time, therefore maybe more bugs than when I was a kid.

I've gotten ticks in November here.

[4eyedbuzzard]

I remember getting chiggers several times in Farmingdale, NJ (Monmouth County) as a kid back in the 60's.

[taildragger]

That's what I'm wondering if in the past 25 years climate change hasnt increased there prevalence here in south Jersey. Winter are getting milder & milder all the time, therefore maybe more bugs than when I was a kid.

I've gotten ticks in November here.


Maybe they've developed a taste for you:D

[Datto]

A thru-hiker before I started my thru-hike had advised me that my feet would grow 1.5 to 2.0 sizes larger while thru-hiking the AT. This was after I.d already gotten my trailname of Dat-toe from black-and-blue toes and a certain Vice-president of the United States from my neighborhood had gallently changed my trailname to Datto indicating having a trailname that ended in an "e" might make people laugh at me.

Anyway, that increased shoe size recommendation certainly came true. My feet today are 2.0 shoe sizes sizes larger than when I started my AT thru-hike. They.re way wider too (now I wear a 4EEE width).

Datto

[tucker0104]

I was hiking in Arizona and got really bad bruised toes under the toenails. Trimming the toenail was the trick for me.

[Appalachian Tater]

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/dermatologytopics/a/06_chiggers.htm

That site has good advice regarding treatment. Prevention while hiking, as others have said, is 100% DEET and staying away from them.

One hiker I knew who lost his toenails solved the problem by keeping them cut short to avoid trauma.

[highway]

Blacktoe is not always (but can be) caused by one's footwear. Another culprit is the pounding from excessive miles and/or speed. Marathoners often consistently have it, no matter what their footwear,some to the extent that they have the affected toenails removed so they want grow back.

I never get it when my mileage is short or slow but when it picks up considerably I always loose 4 nails: the nail on the left big toe as well as the right big toe and the two contiguous toenails on the right foot. It hurts a bunch when it first becomes purple, then the pain diminishes and the nail becomes black. If it becomes black all the way to the rear, where it grows out of the toe it will come off in a few weeks, leaving a thin layer of pink , thin, new toe nail underneath. This is flexible and likely will not become damaged until it grows back again. It takes the big toenails 12 months to grow back fully and the smaller toenails just 6 months to do so.

You do not require medical attention unless the nail becomes infected. Even then you can just heat up a pin and make a small hole into the nail to relieve the pressure. Or pay to have a doctor do it.

I hike every year some place for a few weeks to a few months and it happens to me each year, and it does not matter what I wear on my feet. However, sandals do seem to work best for me.

[mudhead]

Very small drill bit spun between your fingertips does this also. Newish, sharp. Don't use the drill. Light pressure. Patience.

Can also use the tip of a knife blade, but turning is fumbly. (?)

Works on fingernails also, but it is easier to not miss the nail.

[SunnyWalker]

Global warming has caused more chiggers to grow.

[SunnyWalker]

I do think it helps if you can bathe each evening. Sometimes this is not possible on the trail, I know. But in my expeirence, I can dink around all day and If I wash up good, or take a shower etc., that night the chiggers won't remain.

[leeki pole]

An over-the-counter med called Chigger-ex Plus has worked well for me this year, also on skeeter bites and poison ivy. Yep, they're already out in force.

[Kerosene]

Yet another good reason to hike in the Fall after the first frost. Fortunately I've never encountered chiggers, and relatively few ticks so far.