4 ms·
I'd love to go barefoot, and let my kid go barefoot--we live in the country. But we have chiggers here and that's a show-stopper unless you want to be miserable
by mod 9y ago
I'd love to go barefoot, and let my kid go barefoot--we live in the country. But we have chiggers here and that's a show-stopper unless you want to be miserable for a week after.
I've been tempted to see if I can...I don't know, build up an immunity? Or get rid of them somehow?
But it doesn't seem possible.
If anyone knows a solution, I'd be happy to hear them!
- paulddraper 9y agoI don't know if you want to try building up an immunity to Lyme disease.
- grzm 9y agoWhether or not one goes barefoot (which is the context under discussion) has little bearing on whether one gets Lyme disease or any other tick-borne illness.
- mod 9y agoWe do have plenty of ticks here. I wasn't aware that chiggers carry Lyme, though. According to purdue, they don't: http://www.purdue.edu/uns/html3month/2001/010716.Gibb.chiggers.html http://www.purdue.edu/uns/html3month/2001/010716.Gibb.chigge...
- paulddraper 9y agoTrue. AFAIK chiggers don't cause anything but itching. That said, they live in pretty much the exact same environments.
- maxerickson 9y agoMaybe not entirely a solution, but you can spray an insecticide that also sees use as a topical medicine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin Reading about their feeding, I don't think you can get much immunity to the bites.
- mod 9y agoI think this is the preferred method for people in my area who wish to have a pristine, bug-free yard. In my case, I don't think it's worth it. I wouldn't feel right spraying that over everything for a few reasons. The affect on my (downhill) neighbors' property, the killing-off of beneficial insects, etc. I'm not against chemical use, I just don't think it fits for this. I'll keep my muck boots on.
- hbosch 9y agoGo barefoot inside, put on shoes or sandals outside... Your feet, and your kids feet, will be absolutely fine.
- mod 9y agoI am less concerned with the health of my feet than I am with the feeling of being barefoot. Not to say I'm disregarding the evidence presented, but I'd like to be barefoot more than I am currently. I wear muck boots nearly all the time I'm outside because they seem to shed chiggers and ticks pretty well. They're not especially comfortable, though, and are nothing like being barefoot. FWIW shoes and sandals are nearly as bad as going barefoot, if chigger bites are the measure.