Everyday Cheapskate: How to Kick Chiggers Out of Your Yard Without Going Broke

Mary Hunt on Oct 20, 2025

You spend a perfectly nice Saturday pulling weeds, trimming roses and finally conquering that corner of the yard that's been giving you side-eye since spring. You feel productive, a little sunburned and oddly proud. Fast-forward to 3 a.m. -- you're wide awake and scratching like you rolled around in fiberglass. What on earth happened?

Congratulations. You've met chiggers -- those microscopic garden gremlins that turn a peaceful afternoon into a full-body itch-fest.

This is your budget-friendly guide to what chiggers are, how to stop the itching, and how to evict them from your yard without forking over your retirement savings at the garden center.

WHAT ARE CHIGGERS, ANYWAY?

Chiggers are baby mites, also known as larvae. Think of them as toddler mites -- hyper, grabby and lacking all social skills. They don't burrow into your skin (contrary to playground legend), but they do latch on, dissolve your skin cells with enzymes, and then slurp it up like soup.

They love warm weather, tall grass and shady garden beds -- and they have a disturbing fondness for skin around waistbands, ankles and armpits. Delightful.

HOW TO KNOW YOU'VE BEEN CHIGGERED

You won't feel them until it's too late. They've eaten and vanished before you even notice. What you will notice: clusters of red, wildly itchy welts around places where your clothing was snug. If you're not allergic to anything new and haven't cuddled a patch of poison ivy, you're probably dealing with chiggers.

FRUGAL YARD TREATMENTS THAT WORK

Don't panic -- and don't shell out for a hazmat suit. Here's how to fight back without draining your wallet.

1. Mow the Lawn Like You Mean It

Chiggers love overgrown grass and shady edges. Keep your lawn short, and edge carefully around fences and flower beds. The tidier the yard, the fewer hiding spots there are.

2. Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade ONLY)

Sprinkle this fine powder where chiggers like to party -- along garden beds, shaded spots and yard edges. It's like crawling through broken glass for pests but safe for pets and kids when used properly. One bag goes a long way.

3. Sulfur Powder: Smelly but Effective

Chiggers hate the smell of sulfur. Lightly dust lawn borders or your socks and shoes before heading outside. Warning: You may smell like the Fourth of July, but you won't be itchy.

4. Neem Oil Spray

Mix a few tablespoons with water and spray shady yard areas. It's a plant-based pest deterrent that's safe for your garden, pets and conscience.

5. Epsom Salt Rinse (Yes, for Your Yard)

Mix 1 cup of Epsom salt per gallon of water and spray it over your lawn. It dehydrates soft-bodied pests like chiggers -- and gives your plants a magnesium boost.

6. Beneficial Nematodes

These microscopic worm-like helpers eat chigger larvae and other soil-dwelling pests. Buy them online, sprinkle them in your yard, and let them handle the night shift.

7. For the Adventurous: Chickens or Guinea Fowl

Got space (and maybe an homeowner association with a sense of humor)? Backyard birds are relentless chigger hunters. Just don't expect them to leave your flower beds alone.

TOO LATE? HERE'S HOW TO TREAT THE ITCHING CHEAPLY

Hot, soapy shower: Wash away any freeloaders still clinging.

Hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion: Both are inexpensive and work.

Oatmeal paste: Mix ground oats with water and slather it on itchy spots.

Oral antihistamines: for nights when scratching seems like your only option.

Resist the urge to scratch, no matter how tempting. Unless you want to look like you lost a fight with a cheese grater.

CHEAP PREVENTION TIPS

-- Wear long pants and tuck them into your socks (ignore the fashion critics).

-- Shower and change clothes right after working outdoors.

-- Use natural repellents like sulfur powder or essential oils (tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus) on shoes and socks.

BOTTOM LINE FROM THE ITCH ZONE

You don't need a professional exterminator or a cart full of chemicals to take back your yard. A little lawn care, some natural remedies and the willingness to smell like burnt matches can go a long way.

Still itching for more help? Head over to EverydayCheapskate.com/chiggers for extra tips, links to products that actually work, and maybe a little sympathy. You're not scratching alone.

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Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, "Ask Mary." This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book "Debt-Proof Living."