Talk:Trombiculidae

Untitled

this page needs work. there are several repeated sentences. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jsweeny (talk • contribs) 18:10, 18 June 2005 (UTC)

Chegro = Chigger?

I was wondering if the term "chigger" evolved from the word "chegro" in the same way "nigger" was a common Southern-American pronunciation of "negro." Looking up "chegro" in Wikipedia actually redirects to this page, but the page itself makes no mention of this word. Anyone know if the chegro redirect is valid? john factorial (talk) 20:30, 27 August 2008 (UTC)

That's a joke. No, that should not be a redirect. The joke is that the "polite" name for chiggers is chee-groes. Let's not perpetuate it, OK? Wastrel Way (talk) 03:50, 21 July 2021 (UTC) Eric

Trombicula autumnalis

This article needs to be changed to reflect the fact that Harvest mites are more than just the one species, Trombicula alfreddugesi. Malcolm Morley 17:48, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

It also needs to not how annoying these things are on your testicles. CharlesMartel 04:28, 5 May 2006 (UTC)CharlesMartel

haha, and it's a bit harsh on the application of rubbing alcohol - the application of it can help sterilize any bites that have been scratched open... 71.61.64.113 19:14, 20 July 2007 (UTC)

Agreed; IMExp, alcohol seems to relieve some of the itch (feels nice and cool, anyway), and it doesn't really burn unless you scratched it to the point where it's an open wound. -- MyrddinEmrys 15:51, 10 August 2007 (UTC)

And, personally, I prefer the pain to itching. The clean sting of the alcohol is rather preferable to that damn itching. I often scratch the tops off bites so that they sting rather than itch. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.43.170.137 (talk) 00:20, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

This article has some absurd elements...

Chigger range

There should be a section on which areas of the world are plagued by chiggers and which aren't. I know here in the U.S., they are prevalent in the hot and humid parts of the country - mostly in the south east, the south, and the midwest, and they're not present in northern areas, or the high mountains and deserts of the west. I don't think the west coast has much of a chigger problem either...

Anyhow - quite awful animals - right up there with ticks as some of the worst!

ENpeeOHvee 05:23, 8 June 2006 (UTC)

well, they're certainly in New Jersey! Xeokym 11:46, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes sir! I found out the hard way in NJ! I think it was ainformative article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.94.40.21 (talk) 00:58, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Poorly written

This article needs some serious work. This is not a how to remove chiggers article. Also, lets start citing some sources here. I'm not going to change much at this moment, just comment, but I had to delete the portion that said "One doctor who also likes the outdoors said...".

• This is not a how to remove chiggers article.

  Maybe so, but I am feeling better due to this information, and didn't have to waste my money on a bottle of nail polish. The chiggers-burrow-into-your-skin-and-live-there myth is quite widespread, as is the nail polish remedy to "suffocate" them, so I think that, at least, should stay in. —simpatico ^talk 05:24, 9 August 2007 (UTC)

According to HowStuffWorks, the only reason the nail polish works is because it keeps air out of the wound. The appropriate medicated creams do the same thing, and actually treats the wound. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.241.212.133 (talk) 22:46, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

The article is written well but it makes chigger bites sound as dangerous as radioactive chainsaws. I'm riddled with chigger bites and it's not really that itchy or uncomfortable at all. 75.75.110.235 23:40, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

Maybe says you, but I'd rather take my chances with the radioactive chainsaws, personally ;) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dwringer (talk • contribs) 21:04, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

I LIKE Radioactive chainsaws. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.44.226.81 (talk) 06:11, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Merge

I hereby propose that Chigger merge into Harvest mite as Chigger is a kind of Harvest mite, and the said page: Harvest mite already has a Chigger section that should be merged with Chigger. Etineskid (talk) 22:14, 23 September 2008 (UTC)

Complete

I completed the Merge, however Chigger has some double redirects if you can help that would be great! Etineskid (talk) 21:31, 6 October 2008 (UTC)

Genus name

Chiggers refer to a wide variety of mites in the Trombiculidae family, but it is wrong to put down "genus Trombicula" at the top of the article. The article also talks about trombiculid mites as vectors of scrub typhus: but these mites are in the genus Leptotrombidium and not in the genus Trombicula. This statement at the top of the article is therefore incorrect. Two solutio

1. Delete the reference to "genus Trombicula" from the top of the article.
2. Massive rewrite: rename current article to "Trombiculidae" and create separate articles for each genus (Trombicula, Leptotrombidium, etc.). Replace "Harvest mite" with a redirect to "Trombiculidae" or with a disambiguation page.

Votes?--Gak (talk) 12:54, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

I've just looked at the Wiki Arthropods project page and the correct course of action would seem to be option 2: re-write, on the basis that the term "harvest mite" is not unique, not unambiguous, and refers to several different species. On that basis, the article title should be the scientific name and not "harvest mite" or "chigger".--Gak (talk) 12:59, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

Removed treatment recommendation

Just removed a recommendation for a specific treatment. It was placed so as to indicate that it came from the already-cited Merck reference, but it didn't. Snezzy (talk) 23:15, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

Life cycle/larva section

1st sentence says larvae are about 1.27 mm long and normally light red, but 3rd sentence says yellow to light red and about 0.17–0.21 mm. The article's opening paragraph says 0.4 mm and chrome-orange.

3rd paragraph says the bump forms as late as 24-48 hours after the bite and ends by saying the larvae remain attached to a suitable host for 3 to 5 days before dropping off. This implies they remain present for at least 24 hours after the bump forms -- probably longer. But the main 2nd paragraph says itching usually occurs after the larvae detach from the skin, and the Treatment section (1st paragraph) says they're no longer present by the time a rash is noticed.

I don't know which of these statements are correct, but someone who does should eliminate the contradictions.Therealdp (talk) 18:28, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

I fixed the first contradiction, but I don't understand what you mean for the second one. It would mean that the bump forms around 24 hours after they first bite, and they stay for 3-5 days and then drop off, to which then the rash starts to itch. I don't understand where the contradiction is. Bugboy52.4 | =-= 14:03, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

I see your point. My impression, based on too much personal experience, has been like C. Cerf's (below): The bump turns red and starts itching within a few hours after working outside and being bitten. What's more, I've never spotted a chigger, so they must have dropped off by then. Is it possible that the article's citations concern a species that's different from the ones I've encountered in TX and OH? I'm pretty sure these have been chigger bites, rather than some other insect. Therealdp (talk) 01:14, 23 September 2009 (UTC)

A chigger sufferer speaks: The itch begins much sooner than 3 days. The Ohio State Extension Fact Sheet says, "Any welts, swelling, itching, or fever will usually develop three to six hours after exposure and may continue a week or longer." That's consistent with my experience. Btw, I was chiggered in Somerset, Md, between Bethesda and the District line, a not noticeably rural area. C. Cerf (talk) 20:44, 1 August 2009 (UTC)

I don't want to be pedantic, but the term "larva" is wrong. Arachnids do not have larvae. They go through various stages of instars, and mites may have 4 legs, then 6 legs, then 8 legs as an adult, but they do not have the kind of metamorphosis that separates a larval stage from an adult stage. (Edit) And I see that the term "larva" is universally used for the first instar of mites, which seems (generally) to have a different way of life, often parasitic, than later instars. I'm not going to be pedantic so the mite-ologists can have it their way. Wastrel Way (talk) 03:58, 21 July 2021 (UTC) Eric

Link to vid of larva if anyone wants to use it

Don't have time to deal with adding it, converting it, whatever. You can see the internal organs moving...BTW it's on a piece of toilet paper.

http://ajawam.home.comcast.net/ch.wmv

I created this and fully release it to the public domain for whatever purpose. I used the Aven USB 200X to capture it - Wamnet (talk)

That's a tick, not a harvest mite. Bugboy52.4 | =-= 21:24, 26 August 2009 (UTC)

No - I think it's a chigger... My kid was covered in them. He broke out later that night as shown in the main page. Tick's have 8 legs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick

That video is around 200x.. used the AVEN 200x microscope for it. Wamnet (talk)

I take it back - that is a tick larvae confirmed by Uof FL entomologist - cool... 68.49.29.182 (talk)

WAIT - I take that back... I called Lyle at U of FL Dept of Ent. and now he's not sure... the vid played back on his PC as he put it - "like the movie Predator - all red" The correct playback of the above vid should be a white background on a black stage. Looks similar to these photos http://www.mikebaker.com/animals/chiggers.html 68.49.29.182 (talk)

I would like you to compare the front pair of legs to this picture of a different species to the video. Bugboy52.4 | =-= 11:46, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

Well, so far Lyle at U of LF and his mite expert seem to think it's a hard shell tick larvae. So if it ever gets confirmed, maybe someone can use the vid where it belongs... Wamnet (talk)

Odd sentence

What's with this sentence (found in the History section)? "However, most information about chiggers came from the problems aroused during and after World War II, because of the chiggers." First of all, it's clearly written by someone for whom English is not native. Who says that problems are "aroused"? And what does it mean that there were problems during and after WWII? Also, the odd ending "because of the chiggers" is unnecessary, given the mention of chiggers at the beginning of the sentence. Someone should make this statement function or delete it altogether. It adds nothing but confusion. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.126.229.138 (talk) 02:34, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Um, where they bite

Can't someone document where they typically bite on humans? I mean folks don't believe that the bugs I grew up with attached to private parts and bra and underwear lines. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tchrisman (talk • contribs) 01:24, 12 June 2010 (UTC)

Clothing constrictions, especially moist ones. Beltlines, sock lines and folds/wrinkles in the skin have also been noted as common bite sites in the lit. --69.110.91.98 (talk) 12:50, 7 August 2011 (UTC)Doug Bashford

No Chiggers in California (?)

It seems like all, if not most trombiculid don't produce chiggers. I wonder if chiggers need their own entry? quote: "The distribution of trombiculid species, which is nearly everywhere in the world." While chiggers might indeed be the larva, I wonder if ALL the larva should be defined as chiggers? A loose reading here suggests all Trombiculidae larva bite humans, thus most of the world. In the U.S. only the moist, hot South East has that horrible scourge. (mostly E of the 100th parallel) Being an outdoorsman, I got my first chigger bite, along with 20 more (and later, blood poisoning) within 4 hours of moving from Colorado and California to Austin Tx. They changed the was I did things.

Therefore in much of the US, (and world?) either many Trombicula larva don't bite humans (thus, are not chiggers) or are so rare that this should be noted. ...or sumthin.

American Heritage Dictionary NOUN: 1. snip......The chigger's bite produces a wheal that is usually accompanied by severe itching. Also ... http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/chigger

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, ... :snip ...and causes intense irritation http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chigger

chigger: Webster's New World College (yourdictionary)

"Chigger Map of U.S. CHIGG-AWAY®" http://www.chiggaway.com/ChiggerCountry.htm

"I had no idea what chig­gers were until I moved to the Mid­west," http://www.sunrisewithcoffee.com/uncategorized/chiggers-and-blackberries
--69.110.91.98 (talk) 14:01, 7 August 2011 (UTC)Doug Bashford

Oops. Later I discovered this chigger of California: Eutrombicula batatus (or Trombictda batatas or Trombieula (Eutrombieula) batatas) "one of the most important pest chiggers of man in tropical America;" Eutrombicula batatus from the southern U.S. (including California and Kansas) to Brazil, worst on lawns, "not abundant" in woods or jungles. A most serious pest in northern South America.

Also; "observed that the pest chigger in California, Trombicula belkini Gould" "widely distributed in California" and a few found in Utah.

Despite my above claims, with my new research, it's likely I ran into one of these species at a lawn picnic at Lost Lake Park, outside of Fresno CA, a dozen feet from the San Joaquin River about 2006. The next day the person I was with had dozens of chigger-like bite patterns on her legs, while I had zero welts. Discriminatory biting, not being characteristic of the South's Eutrombicula alfreddugesi we presumed it was an allergic reaction to lawn or bug. Also the bites were less intense and healed much faster than untreated alfreddugesi wounds.

Wondering: Is there a continuum from the toxin-like alfreddugesi, to moderate allergen, to rare human allergic reaction among the different species's saliva?

All this combined with most dictionary definitions lead me to believe there are 1) technical-only chiggers, 2) minor or rare pest chiggers, 3)major pest (real) chiggers.
      _{(pes·ti·lence NOUN: 2. A pernicious, evil influence or agent.)}
--68.127.91.226 (talk) 18:21, 12 August 2011 (UTC)Doug Bashford

I got curious about chiggers, having been bitten by something recently. Long ago, in Boy Scouts, I heard about chiggers. I live in California, and my recent bites were almost certainly received while working in a weedy part of an oak-woodland area in Contra Costa County. My symptoms generally agree with the "chiggers" idea except that the itching doesn't seem to be as intense or severe as described by those bitten by different species elsewhere.

California certainly does have trombiculids. A scientific reference is: "The Larval Trombiculid Mites of California (Acarina: Trombiculidae)." Douglas J. Gould. Published by University of California Press, 1956. Reviewed by G. W. Wharton in The Quarterly Review of Biology 31, no. 4 (Dec., 1956). "Gould reports 56 species of trombiculids from California and describes 15 of them as new." I haven't actually looked at that book, but I strongly suspect that one of the 56 species was what bit me. Oaklandguy (talk) 22:38, 9 July 2016 (UTC)

Etymology

The article currently says that the word trombiculidae comes from Greek trombin and Latin culex, but if this were true, the name of this article would be trombiculicidae. It's quite apparent that trombiculidae comes from trombicula, which in turn means, "a little trombic thing", where trombic is an adjective meaning, "having to do with trombin". I will search for some appropriate references. Rwflammang (talk) 02:13, 9 August 2011 (UTC)

Need to move "chiggers" to a new entry!

Chigger redirects here. For much of the lead (intro) section, (and elewhere,) the "they" seems to refer specifically to chiggers only, NOT Trombiculidae generally. Trombiculidae seemingly includes many mites that do not attack humans. So only a few mites are chiggers (depending on our definition).

Britannica is the oddball, giving the broadest definition of chigger: "the larva of any of approximately 10,000 species of mites in the invertebrate subclass Acari (the mites and ticks)." and "Chiggers range in length from 0.1 to 16 mm (0.004 to 0.6 inch)." ...which I disregard as an error. Tick larva!?

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: "causes intense irritation"
Dictionary.com: "...causing severe itching and ...vector of scrub typhus..."

"In North America the common chigger that attacks humans is Eutrombicula alfreddugèsi (also called Trombicula irritans). This species occurs from the Atlantic coast to the Midwest and southward to Mexico." See Trombicula alfreddugesi From Wikipedia. (also in Mexico, Latin America, Hispaniola, and...?) From the chat forums, possibly this gives the worst bite by far?
Also for N America, "one of the most important pest chiggers of man in tropical America;" Eutrombicula batatus from the southern U.S. (including California) to Brazil, worst on lawns.

"Two genera of chigger mites, each containing many species, are of concern to deployed military forces. They are Eutrombicula and Leptotrombidium. Chiggers in the genus Eutrombicula do not transmit any known pathogens to people, but they can cause irritating bites, dermatitis and severe itching when they feed on the unsuspecting host. They are widely distributed in the Western Hemisphere, and Europe. By comparison chiggers in the genus Leptotrombidium are the vectors of scrub typhus throughout Asia and portions of Australia. The bite of Leptotrombidium often does not itch, or at least not as intensely, as those of Eutrombicula. Also, a black necrotic lesion known as an eschar develops where the chigger fed."
2006, Field Guide to Venomous and Medically Important Invertebrates Affecting Military Operations: Identification, Biology, Symptoms, Treatment - http://www.afpmb.org/sites/default/files/pubs/guides/field_guide.pdf

A quick google, I find only the Harvest Mite Trombicula autumnalis [Neotrombicula autumnalis] Trombicula_autumnalis listed for chiggers in Europe OR the UK. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/409133/Neotrombicula-autumnalis also: http://www.vetstream.com/lapis/Content/Bug/bug00357 Distribution: Western Europe to Eastern Asia. ...Not seen in Australia or North America.

Possibly there are only 3 - 6 "real" chiggers in the world that attack/irritate humans?

As suugested, another complication is that there are many definitions for "chigger," (Yet I prefer the many that imply itchy wounds on humans from the medical dictionaries, etc.)

In other words, it appears that not much is written on mites, but plenty on chiggers, and the merge has really tangled up the literature, this page is only one of many.

Most of these issues might not apply to Trombiculidae in general. Moving "chigger" to it's own page would be a step in the right direction...towards organization.
Thoughts?
--69.110.91.98 (talk) 23:54, 10 August 2011 (UTC)Doug Bashford

Ok, Getting no objections, (a soft WP:BRD) I made the changes to bring the definition of the popular term; "chigger" more in line with most dictionaries as I have described in the last few days: Chiggers cause severe itching, irritation. Any major problems?
--68.127.91.226 (talk) 23:55, 13 August 2011 (UTC)Doug Bashford

section: "Handling Chigger Bites"

In recent days since 11 February 2012, section 3.2 Handling Chigger Bites has seen major changes, and section 3.2.1 Home Remedies has been deleted, - by three people. They had previously stood mostly unchanged since my (rather highly (7) referenced) changes around 12 August, 2011‎. In short, a kid with a stated goal to "Get to 5,000 edits," tagged the entire article for tone and advertisement. Huh??? Listerine, Windex and several chigger products etc, were mentioned. Then a Crustacean scientist deleted as above, including an interesting, hot, and controversial debate (not "advice"). Then like clockwork, somebody else added in ONLY ONE SIDE of that unresolved debate as fact.

I'm going to remove the ONE SIDE of that debate, and replace the old full debate unless it can be demonstrated as invalid or resolved. Wiki wants interesting and it wants controversial matters stated. (Lede: "explain why the subject is interesting or notable, and summarize the most important points—including any prominent controversies." ... and to ordinary people, not just scientists.) I believe it adds understanding. Also, if not, people with emotional vested interests are likely to continue adding just one side of that unresolved debate as fact. I'll let most of the deletia stand, however I did not see its primary value as advice, but as clues to a fascinating mystery.

An excellent Trombicula alfreddugesi bites pic: "Chigger bites from a hike in southern Georgia (USA) in November, 2007. They took almost a year to heal."
--68.127.83.76 (talk) 04:49, 23 February 2012 (UTC)Doug Bashford

Transmission of Disease

I seem to remember that in south-eastern Canada some cases have been reported as climate change caused some southern diseases to be introduced in some forests. The sentence may be outdated; some research needed. 76.10.128.192 (talk) 21:17, 30 May 2015 (UTC)

Not sure what this has to do with transmission of disease, as chiggers in North America are not associated with diseases. Also, growing up in northern MN in the 1980's I remember chiggers were rare but present. SE Canada is actually warmer than northern MN. Nerfer (talk) 14:31, 14 July 2016 (UTC)

Species

This seems written by someone who has never had chiggers. Chiggers aren't even irritating. As a matter of fact, unless your grandmother points out to you that you are infected, you might never even know it. She may even show you how the did not infect other key parts of the body. And, they may be indicative of other factors in the woods at the time. They simply looks like little red spots distributed below the skin. 74.108.160.37 (talk) 15:59, 21 August 2016 (UTC)

You're speaking only for yourself. Chiggers are indeed irritating; in fact getting bitten by 80 of them at once kept me in bed all day. In any case, your experiences, my experiences, or your grandmother's, are irrelevant. To include something in an article, we need references to reliable and verifiable sources to back up any statement. ~Amatulić (talk) 19:10, 21 August 2016 (UTC)

They itch beyond nelief, and as a child in Florida, the location of the bites was not a place one coud scratch in public, such as a clasroom. That was in the 1950's but oddly, one never hears about the critters nowadays. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2602:306:CF99:2080:FC2A:FE85:33FD:6A4A (talk) 21:59, 17 August 2018 (UTC)

Missing link to a French page on the side

The page is https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ao%C3%BBtat — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2404:4408:44AC:3400:1523:BFA7:FDE1:29D4 (talk) 19:26, 7 February 2018 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress

There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Trombicula which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 01:46, 29 December 2020 (UTC)

Picture

I don't have any pictures, but I think the initial picture on this page is not representative. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Harrisd5917 (talk • contribs) 17:00, 7 February 2021 (UTC)