This week has been super hot here. The kind of hot that fries my mind and makes my body feel like it's breathing its last. Of the very little bit I did get accomplished was looking up "chiggers" on line. In an attempt to feel a comraderie with all of creation I decided I better find out what I could. It turns out that chiggers are the larvae of those teensy weensy red spiders. Now, I've alsways liked those little guys and am having a hard time believing they spend part of their lives as chiggers. Once they are spiders they won't bite you. But when they are new born larvae, they climb to the top of grass blades and hang on waiting for something to sip. They don't actually bite, they spit something into you that hardens a spot and turns the center of the spot to a yummy sludge. I'm thinking something like a Slurpy. The hardened skin itches and some people itch more than others. And the itch lasts 7 days....maybe more. They say on line that painting them with fingernail polish doesn't work, but I do think that shortens the itching somewhat. My back had a bunch of bites that I couldn't reach to apply the nail polish. That gave me a chance to compare the ones I was able to paint and those I wasn't. So 7 days was yesterday. The spots I couldn't reach are still itching a little, but this itch may be from the little chiggers who decided to take a nap when I did and didn't get hungry till the next evening. I've been reduced to carrying around a large serving spoon this week so I can reach those itchy spots. I'm praising the Lord for spoons and hot showers and little chiggers who remind us we all have a place in His creation.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Chiggers Are My Nemesis
Superman had kriptonite, Darth Vader had Luke, I have chiggers! Sunday a week ago as I walked off the trail trying to find a garter snake, it crossed my mind that chiggers might be out. Some people don't even believe in them. And I try not to so I did everthing wrong. When I got home I was too tired to take a shower. I just curled up in bed and slept awhile giving the little critters time to wander around and jump on the bed. When I did put my clothes in the laundry, I used cold water instead of hot. Within hours of the walk, I was again a believer.
This week has been super hot here. The kind of hot that fries my mind and makes my body feel like it's breathing its last. Of the very little bit I did get accomplished was looking up "chiggers" on line. In an attempt to feel a comraderie with all of creation I decided I better find out what I could. It turns out that chiggers are the larvae of those teensy weensy red spiders. Now, I've alsways liked those little guys and am having a hard time believing they spend part of their lives as chiggers. Once they are spiders they won't bite you. But when they are new born larvae, they climb to the top of grass blades and hang on waiting for something to sip. They don't actually bite, they spit something into you that hardens a spot and turns the center of the spot to a yummy sludge. I'm thinking something like a Slurpy. The hardened skin itches and some people itch more than others. And the itch lasts 7 days....maybe more. They say on line that painting them with fingernail polish doesn't work, but I do think that shortens the itching somewhat. My back had a bunch of bites that I couldn't reach to apply the nail polish. That gave me a chance to compare the ones I was able to paint and those I wasn't. So 7 days was yesterday. The spots I couldn't reach are still itching a little, but this itch may be from the little chiggers who decided to take a nap when I did and didn't get hungry till the next evening. I've been reduced to carrying around a large serving spoon this week so I can reach those itchy spots. I'm praising the Lord for spoons and hot showers and little chiggers who remind us we all have a place in His creation.
This week has been super hot here. The kind of hot that fries my mind and makes my body feel like it's breathing its last. Of the very little bit I did get accomplished was looking up "chiggers" on line. In an attempt to feel a comraderie with all of creation I decided I better find out what I could. It turns out that chiggers are the larvae of those teensy weensy red spiders. Now, I've alsways liked those little guys and am having a hard time believing they spend part of their lives as chiggers. Once they are spiders they won't bite you. But when they are new born larvae, they climb to the top of grass blades and hang on waiting for something to sip. They don't actually bite, they spit something into you that hardens a spot and turns the center of the spot to a yummy sludge. I'm thinking something like a Slurpy. The hardened skin itches and some people itch more than others. And the itch lasts 7 days....maybe more. They say on line that painting them with fingernail polish doesn't work, but I do think that shortens the itching somewhat. My back had a bunch of bites that I couldn't reach to apply the nail polish. That gave me a chance to compare the ones I was able to paint and those I wasn't. So 7 days was yesterday. The spots I couldn't reach are still itching a little, but this itch may be from the little chiggers who decided to take a nap when I did and didn't get hungry till the next evening. I've been reduced to carrying around a large serving spoon this week so I can reach those itchy spots. I'm praising the Lord for spoons and hot showers and little chiggers who remind us we all have a place in His creation.
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I am so disturbed. ICKY!
ReplyDeleteThat's actually a really interesting factoid! Huh. I'd forgotten the word chiggers. What a rush of memories of humid hikes through various parks and the itching of my ankles for days...
ReplyDeleteI HATE chiggers!!!!!!
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