Chiggers are arachnid larvae that are found in the arachnid family. Red bugs, berry bugs, harvest mites, and scrub-itch mites are some of the other names for them. These beings are so small that they can only be seen with a magnifying glass. They are reddish in color and can be as short as 1/50th of an inch in size. Their bites are painful and very itchy, despite their small scale.
Chiggers are seen when wandering in damp grassy areas and tall weeds. It is difficult to spot them and brush them off the skin at this stage. They walk around the human surface before congregating in places of loose skin, such as the ankle, crotch, and groin. They pierce the skin and release digestive enzymes through the incision until they’ve found a good spot. These enzymes begin by digesting human cells, which serve as a food source for them. Chiggers use a feeding tube called a stylostome to feed on the destroyed tissues.
This stylosome, in addition to destroying and dissolving tissues, hardens the skin around it. Once the parasitic mite has latched onto the flesh, it normally takes 1-2 hours for this to happen. A common chigger bite causes enzymatic changes as well as physical skin damage. The body responds with an allergic reaction and immune defenses as a result of this. As soon as the skin is pierced and uncovered, it is vulnerable to secondary bacterial infections. The scratching is caused by two things: first, an allergic reaction to the chigger’s saliva, and second, the stylosome. The scratching will persist until the stylosome is dissolved by the body’s lymphatic system. This may take few days to a couple of weeks.