Unlike scabies mites, chiggers do not burrow into the skin. They feed at the base of a hair follicle or in a pore. Chiggers generally attach to those areas of the body where clothing fits tightly, such as at the sock line and waistline. Larvae ingest lymph and partially digested cells after the chigger attaches. The bites commonly cause itching in about 3 to 6 hours and dermatitis develops in about 10 to 16 hours.
Some people experience allergic reactions to the bites and develop blister-like lesions.
Chiggers do not transmit any disease agents to people. The adults and nymphs are free-living predators of insects. In the South, chiggers are active virtually year round. They are commonly encountered at the woodland borders, along the periphery of swamps, and in shrub thickets and unmowed areas of lawn. Areas that contain thick layers of pine straw, leaf litter or thatch are suitable habitats for chiggers and their prey.