The term chigger is a common name used to describe the larval stage of mites that are parasitic on warm-blooded animals, including people. Chigger bites characteristically cause intense itching and the formation of small, reddish welts.
Chiggers are active from spring to late fall but are most numerous in early summer.
Adult chiggers become active in early spring and the females deposit eggs in grassy or weedy areas. They wander over the skin surface before attaching at a skin pore or hair follicle. The attachment site on people is usually in places where the clothing fits tightly over the skin or where the skin is thin or wrinkled. Contrary to popular opinion, chiggers do not burrow into the skin nor do they feed on blood. Instead, chiggers inject a digestive fluid containing enzymes that cause skin cells to rupture.