How Long Can Chiggers Live In Clothes?

The lifespan of a chigger can vary from anything between one month and one year. Although a single chigger may only live for this amount of time, once an adult female has infested an item of clothing, and is not properly exterminated, she can lay up to 15 eggs a day. This means that clothes left untreated can keep a continuous circle of life going for years. Keeping this in mind, it is therefore very important to get rid of chiggers as early on as possible.

• Removing chiggers from clothes

Getting rid of chiggers from the clothes they are living in is the first step towards getting rid of an infestation. If a person finds a chigger on the skin then it is essential that they think about any clothes they have worn that day and any furniture, other clothes or people that they have been in contact with.

In most cases, placing the contaminated clothes in a hot wash with plenty of detergent will be sufficient to kill the chiggers. The clothes should be inspected after for any signs of the parasite. Furniture should be washed thoroughly and, where possible, covers should be put through the wash.

• Removing chiggers from skin

Unlike ticks, chiggers will not embed themselves into the skin. It is perfectly safe to brush chiggers from the body with a towel or cloth. To ensure that the chiggers are completely removed from the skin, put all clothing into the wash and the person who has been bitten should have a hot shower with plenty of soap.

Once buried into a drawer full of clothes, chiggers can live for years. In order to have the best chance of getting rid of the parasites, the clothes and skin of a bitten person need to be washed immediately. It is much easier to get rid of one chigger straight away than in three days time when it could have given birth to 30 more.