Spanish moss, a familiar sight draping trees across the Southern United States, often evokes images of humid landscapes and a common misconception: that it harbors chiggers. This distinctive plant, characterized by its silvery-gray strands, is an epiphyte, meaning it grows on other plants for support, absorbing water and nutrients directly from the air and rain. Spanish moss itself does not inherently host chiggers.
The Chigger-Moss Connection: Dispelling the Myth
The belief that Spanish moss is infested with chiggers is a widespread misunderstanding. Spanish moss is an air plant, and its structure does not provide the habitat chiggers typically require for their life cycle. While it can offer shelter to various small creatures like bats, spiders, and certain insects, chiggers are not among its usual inhabitants when the moss is hanging in trees. The myth likely persists because Spanish moss thrives in the same humid, overgrown environments where chiggers are prevalent, leading to a mistaken association. However, chiggers are ground-dwelling organisms that prefer low-lying vegetation; if Spanish moss falls to the ground and becomes part of the leaf litter, it can then potentially harbor chiggers due to its location, not its inherent properties.
Where Chiggers Actually Live
Chiggers, also known as red bugs or harvest mites, are the larval stage of tiny mites, not insects. These microscopic arachnids are nearly invisible to the naked eye, and only their six-legged larval stage is parasitic, feeding on humans and other animals. Chiggers prefer specific environments, including tall grasses, weeds, brush, and wooded areas, thriving in damp, shaded conditions. After hatching from eggs laid in damp soil, the larvae crawl onto vegetation, waiting for a host. Once on a host, they attach to the skin, often in areas where clothing fits tightly, and inject digestive enzymes to liquefy skin cells for consumption, causing intense itching that typically begins several hours later as the body reacts.
Preventing and Treating Chigger Bites
Protecting oneself from chigger bites involves several steps when spending time in their preferred habitats. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, with pant legs tucked into socks or boots, to provide a physical barrier. Apply insect repellents containing DEET or picaridin to exposed skin, and treat clothing with permethrin to deter chiggers. After outdoor activities, shower promptly with soap and water to wash off any unattached mites, and wash all outdoor clothing in hot water. If bites occur, alleviate intense itching with over-the-counter anti-itch creams like hydrocortisone or calamine lotion, oral antihistamines, or cool compresses; avoid scratching to prevent skin damage and potential secondary infections, as bites can remain itchy for up to two weeks.