Pesticides to Rid a Yard of Chiggers

A chigger is a larval mite that is most active during the spring and summer months. Chiggers survive by consuming the flesh of human or animal prey, injecting a toxin that liquefies flesh when they bite their victim. The resulting bite causes a red, itchy bump or welt. Severe chigger infestations on a property will require a strong mixture of pesticides and good yard maintenance to treat.

Diethyl toluamide, more commonly known as DEET, is a chemical pesticide that has been shown to be highly effective against chiggers. DEET is a common ingredient in a number of different pest control products and bug sprays.

The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture claims that insect repellents which contain either DEET or another chemical pesticide, permethrin, will be the most effective for treating and repelling chiggers. Permethrin is effective but it is less commonly used than DEET because it can be hazardous if you happen to come into contact with it with your bare skin. Other pesticides that have been shown to be effective in treating areas with chiggers are cyhalothrin, carbaryl and bifenthrin.

The National Pesticide Information Center considers any product that can be used to repel or eliminate pests to be a pesticide. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, sulfur has been routinely shown to be very effective against chiggers and is generally non-toxic to other living beings, unlike DEET and permethrin. Dusting your yard thoroughly with sulfur can help treat a chigger infestation on the property. However, sulfur does have a somewhat unpleasant odor.

Keeping your grass mowed regularly and clearing away large brush piles will help prevent chiggers from hiding and living in your yard. Keeping your yard clean, well maintained and treating it for chiggers in the late spring or early summer before the infestation can become severe will help reduce your chigger problem all year.