RUN…Attack of the CHIGGERS

[h.j.]

Warda 12 race - $65
Land privilege - $8
All sore - arms, neck, back, butt/seat contact - bearable
No schwag or t-shirt or anything - heart and pocket breaking
~45 chigger bites - freaking me the *^@# out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. any other broke freaking out riders out there?
2. any tips that will stop me from sawing off my feet at the knee?

P.S. congrates to those that placed high enough for an arm load of shwag, and to those that did that did it solo, or team of 2, or 4, or 5... that was a brutal weekend and restful sunday.

[chief]

shit brother, i called in sick today to do all the stuff i couldn't do yesterday cuz i crashed hard core!
as for the chiggers, baking soda buddy!

[Bad Attitude=Michael]

Baking soda? What's that all about? Tell me brother.

[chief]

Originally posted by Bad Attitude=Michael
Baking soda? What's that all about? Tell me brother.

it's all about the baking soda!

[h.j.]

I've heard of the water/baking soda, takes the sting out i.e. bee sting. Have you heard of covering the bite with nail polish to suffocate the little buggers?

[Jeff]

You can try the baking soda thing but benadryl works for me .Topically or pill for ( Don't drink alcohol w/ pill form) that'll get the itchies ,afterbite works too. Get a bottle of clear nail polish and apply liberally to each chigger everyday until it chokes the little bastards to DEATH!!!!!!:)

[carlos]

those little animals that crawl under your skin and lay eggs? got any pics for rotten.com?

www.rotten.com

[dan]

Originally posted by Jeff
Get a bottle of clear nail polish and apply liberally to each chigger everyday until it chokes the little bastards to DEATH!!!!!!:)

Entombing chiggers under human flesh. Oooooohhh, that sounds so diabolical! Pity those poor, tiny, inocent creatures that you picked up on the trail/course. You radical, evil mountain bike- riding destroyer of the environment. I'm telling that mountain bike bashing wacko environmentalist doctor on you! Hah!!!

[chief]

for your info!

http://www.skinsite.com/info_chiggers.htm

http://ipmwww.ncsu.edu/insect_notes/Urban/chigger.gif

http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/insects/nf269.htm

http://encarta.msn.com/find/MediaMax.asp?pg=3&ti=039C0000&idx=461517400

[dan]

Dr. Frank, you da gooood doctor.:D

[chief]

Originally posted by dan
Dr. Frank, you da gooood doctor.:D

well thank you sir! i try!

[joetoeclips]

Race cost: $50 (pre-registered)

race shirt (free with pre-registration) $10

Koobi socks (with race packet) $10

4th place swag:

Blackburn 15 tool $20
Ozone water bottle $3
Ozone defeet socks $10
4th place plaque $priceless

No chigger bites, where'd you get those at?

I figure I came out ahead $3 bucks....damn, forgot land use fees

Hope you heal quickly

Who's doing Blazing Saddles at RHRanch?

[chief]

we didn't get no socks!!!!!

[Brian]

Hey guys,

registration - $50
land use - $8
food - $60
beer - $15
riding at night/great company/Ice Cold Beer after race/All you can eat breakfast in Shulenberg - priceless

Man, did I have a blast. I can not wait until the next all nighter.

By the way, does anyone know where the results are posted?

Brian

[chief]

Originally posted by Brian
All you can eat breakfast in Shulenberg - priceless


did you go back up for more? i could only handle one plate, didn't even finish that one!

[Brian]

Originally posted by chief


did you go back up for more? i could only handle one plate, didn't even finish that one!


Shit no, that grease was killing me. I loved it.

[h.j.]

Joetoeclips bringing it with an arm load of goodies. Good stuff on the 4th place finish. It just goes to show that reregistering and preriding and prehydrating and prestretching and preparing all pay off in the long ride. :cool:

[LongArm]

Originally posted by h.j.
~45 chigger bites - freaking me the *^@# out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



As a sidenote.....before you go out for your next ride in the wilderness...especially if you are expecting fleas...chiggers...or ticks....try wearing a pair of pantyhose. This is an old Army Grunt field technique to PREVENT those bites. :eek: :eek: :eek:

[h.j.]

panty hose? in the woods? oh I get it, I have seen dudes walk into the woods hand-in-hand and one of them wearing panty hose:rolleyes:

If it works, don't knock it before you try it:)
However riding with ho'z, wouldn't your legs get hot?
Not to mention the bits:D

I get it, I get it, but really what about the hot legs, and I do mean temp-wise, not my sexy defined cycle/soccer legs.
Then again how hot could legs get:confused:

Have you done this? riding, not camping in the woods with a bunch of buddies?

[Doug]

Alternative to the panty hose solution: mix 50/50 unscented baby powder and sulphur, put it to an old sock, then dust with it around your ankles. Old Boy Scout trick. It also works on keeping ticks away.

[Big T]

Finally, the best, most effective alternative in keeping ticks, chiggers and ex-wives away is controlled burning. Yep, just burn all the terrain that exhibits any form of vegetation. That's where all them little buggers hide. Then ride on their charred remains and laugh a hearty laugh. You showed them.

Carlos told me of a cool trick for chains. Put a lot of Ice Wax on your chain, light it on fire, pedal and shift through the gears. The wax melts and gets into your chain where it needs to be. The uneeded excess burns off. Plus, the chainrings and cassette get a smooth coating. I can't wait to try it, it makes so much sense. Maybe, putting Ice Wax on the area with chiggers and lighting it would help. I am pretty sure Carlos uses bacon grease or Ice Wax for chiggers.

[John]

Alternative to the panty hose solution: mix 50/50 unscented baby powder and sulphur, put it to an old sock, then old sock, then dust with it around your ankles. Old Boy Scout trick. It also works on keeping ticks away.

Once again, I amazed at the things one can learn on this discussion board. We ought to get continuing education credits for just hanging out here and reading these pearls of wisdom.

[dan]

Originally posted by Doug
Alternative to the panty hose solution: mix 50/50 unscented baby powder and sulphur, put it to an old sock, then dust with it around your ankles. Old Boy Scout trick. It also works on keeping ticks away.

I love the smell of sulfur in the morning. Your tip brought back some great old boy scout memories.

[h.j.]

Where can I score a sack of sulphur powder?
Army surplus? Sams Club?

[Chris aka Killer]

According to my brother, the chigger expert from Missouri, You should use an incect repellant with at least 30% DEET. Deep woods off and repel meet the qualification. this will also help keep the ticks off.

As far as once you get the chigger bites as a pharmacy student, I can endorse the nail polish. Pharmacies sell products called chigger-rid and chigger-ex for about $4 but they do the same thing as the nail polish.

For the itch. If you have enough bites I reccomend oral benadryl 25 mg by mouth every six hours, beware the drowsiness.

For topical itch of any kind I prefer hydrocortisone cream to benadryl cream.

P.S. If you show up in panty hose, you are off the team!

[LongArm]

Originally posted by h.j.
panty hose? in the woods? oh I get it, I have seen dudes walk into the woods hand-in-hand and one of them wearing panty hose:rolleyes:

If it works, don't knock it before you try it:)
However riding with ho'z, wouldn't your legs get hot?
Not to mention the bits:D

I get it, I get it, but really what about the hot legs, and I do mean temp-wise, not my sexy defined cycle/soccer legs.
Then again how hot could legs get:confused:

Have you done this? riding, not camping in the woods with a bunch of buddies?

Depending on what you use....it also prevents chafing and usually keeps you cooler....PLUS!....that smooth sexy feeling can't be beat!!!!:D :D :D :D :D

[Doug]

Sulphur can be obtained at any drug store. I think the last time I bought some it was at Eckerds. The advantage of panty hose would be that you could be used to smooth your legs raher than shaving them.

[Rene]

Would you wear pantyhose for us, Doug?

[chief]

Originally posted by Longarm500


As a sidenote.....before you go out for your next ride in the wilderness...especially if you are expecting fleas...chiggers...or ticks....try wearing a pair of pantyhose. This is an old Army Grunt field technique to PREVENT those bites. :eek: :eek: :eek:

isn't that a mcalister trick?

[Doug]

Not only no, but hell no! I like the feeling of pulling cockle burs out of the hair on my legs.

[chief]

Originally posted by Doug
Alternative to the panty hose solution: mix 50/50 unscented baby powder and sulphur, put it to an old sock, then dust with it around your ankles. Old Boy Scout trick. It also works on keeping ticks away.

i used the baby powder to make a perimeter around our tents for waco! ask alan about those pests landing on his tent like paratroopers invading europe!

[Chris aka Killer]

We have it good down in Texas! After riding today here in St. Louis. I pulled no less than 10 ticks out of my legs. My brother who used Off only pulled 5 out!

[dan]

Originally posted by Chris aka Killer
We have it good down in Texas! After riding today here in St. Louis. I pulled no less than 10 ticks out of my legs. My brother who used Off only pulled 5 out!

There's supposed to be a 100% effective tick and mosquito repellent out their. It's called Keep The F#*@ OFF.

Seriously though, to really keep those bloodsuckers off look for a 100% DEET (active ingredient) product like Ben's 100. It just takes a few drops to cover your arms and legs. Works like a champ!

[Jeff]

What ever happened to the rumor that DEET is a poison ?

[dan]

Originally posted by Jeff
What ever happened to the rumor that DEET is a poison ?

Yeah, it's a poison, but so is alcohol - and a bunch of us drink plenty of it! HeHe.

DEET is still the active ingredient in most mosquito repellents that I know of. The critters laugh at the OFF in the orange spray can because there is less than 10% DEET (as I recall). The Deep Woods OFF works much better because it has like 18% DEET. In Montana, when mosquitos the size of dragonflies would swarm on our annual summer camp, we gladly used Ben's 100 - so we could keep on drinkin' without the harrassment or worry of spilling our precious liquor. It's not recommended for children, pregnant women and so forth.

[chief]

are you sure you're not confusing deet for agent orange?

http://www.lewispublishing.com/orange.htm

[David F.]

Was a little bored tonight, decided to go back in mojo time, and realized the wisdom of the 'old ones' was needed on today's forum, before the high triple-digit member count. Since spring, and chigger season, is almost here, this is a topical thread again!!!

[BGMD]

If Benadryl makes you sleepy, try Claritan - it's over-the-counter now. 10mg once a day. Take a Benadryl (12.5-25mg) at night to sleep.

As far as topicals, hydrocortisone cream will knock some of the itch out. Aveeno skin cream is really good too (oatmeal laced lotion) - it's soothing and takes away some of the burning that makes you want to scratch more. With chigger bites (especially), scratching over the bite will make it itch worse. If you can't stand it, try to scratch around the periphery without hitting the area that's red from the bite.

These work really well for fire ant bites too.

[Mr. Z]

If you follow the links provided you will read
"On animals, chigger larvae remain attached to the skin for several days but on humans, they are usually dislodged within several hours of attachment. Unlike scabies mites, chiggers do not burrow into the skin. They feed at the base of a hair follicle or in a pore."

In other words the nail polish to suffocate them doesn't do anything. By the time you itch the chigger is gone.

Vinegar works like a charm on mosquito bites and to a lesser extent, chiggars.

[Jeff]

Yeah I read that. I was fond of the part that states" ..it's not a burrow but a feed tube that hosts a fluid that turns your flesh into a drinkable pulp which is what the chigger to consumes. The itching sensation is caused by that fluid."
But thats soooo last year.;)

[LORAX]

Careful with the DEET. That stuff can ruin your ridin' duds if used to often. There's something in it that causes the lycra to breakdown. Just try not to get it on your clothes. (Spray it on your hands and wipe it on.) It shouldn't cause your shorts to fall off while riding. Well, not that day anyway. If you do get it on your clothes, get them in the washer as soon as you get home.

[dan]

It's hell on Timex sport watches, too. Using the Deep Woods stuff to keep the skeeters last year I would routinely spray the arms and over the watch. It didn't take but a few applications before I noticed that the polycarbonate watch face was permanently fogged and I'm sure it came from the DEET. Also, while using the 100% DEET stuff in Montana to keep the mosquitos off while trout fishing - after a while the residual DEET applied by hand caused the EVA foam and fiberglass fishing rod to stick to my casting hand like superglue. I had to use more DEET repellent to dissolve and detach the rod. DEET ruined a nice little spincaster. :mad:

[Mr. Z]

Dan, I had the same experience with a brand new "Sports" watch....ruined the face of it.
I won't put that stuff on me anymore.....if the skeeters are too bad I'll put on long sleeves and pants and a hat, then put the repellant on the clothes.