Chiggers in the garden (not the grass)

I have been agonizing over the decision to spray or not to spray my entire garden with pyrethrin to kill the chiggers. They are not in the grass, they are in my plants. I do everything that I am supposed to do - keep the grass mowed short (and treated); there are no weeds in my perennial beds, vegetable and herb patches, berry bushes or grape arbor; everything is trimmed and there is no debris anywhere (I do mulch everything). The chigger infestation began about 9 years ago and has only gotten worse with time, I get covered in bites beginning after the first week of June. I never go in the garden (big garden!) until October or November when the weather begins to cool down considerably(I live in NE). If I spray all my plants, all the insects, good and bad, will perish. I would hate to contribute to the demise of bees and butterflies.

Can anyone help me with information about pyrethrin? Once pyrethrin dries out on the flowers and leaves, will it still continue to kill all insects that eat or touch them? Chigger eggs seem to survive our harsh winters- would it be preferable to spray when there are fewer flowers blooming in the Fall? Would the spraying at this time keep the chiggers from surviving? Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thank you so much.

I havent used it but I found a page that has the full label for you to read. I cant copy paste it though so Ill summarize and link it. It basically said to NOT use it when plants are blooming and there are bees coming actively to visit. It also said that you could spray it up until the day of harvest. I dont have any real info on dealing with chiggers and I looked up if we get them here since I am right over the NE border but it seems to not be a real issue here. Hope this help at least until someone who has dealt with them pipes in :) http://www.bonide.com/assets/Products/Labels/l857.pdf

Thank you Voo DooU.

Get your clothes treated. Thus - you are protected and you don't have to kill everything else in your garden.

There is a company that will perform this service, and your clothes are good through seventy (70) washings.

ViburnumValley, is the treatment with pyrethrin?

Thank you.

Wish I could tell you what to do. I am having the same problem. I think chiggers go for some people more than others. I am contemplating doing something in my gardens also. I haven't yet. It's bad when you are kept out of your gardens. I can put poison on me but sometimes I go out for a few minutes. I hate to put poison on for a few minutes of being outside. Then, you are suppose to take those clothes off and shower scrubbing your skin. It's a conundrum. :(

Cidi:

I believe the active agent is Permethrin, which is very close cousin or derivative of Pyrethrin.

Why not give insecticidal soap (potassium salts of fatty acids), or neem oil spraying a try?
Chiggers are mites and these claim they can control/kill them etc. If not sprayed directly on bee's or other beneficial insects, when they are active at the site, they are supposedly not harmed.

I'm gonna try neem oil on my vegetable garden then another spray a week later. Never used it before.

I already did 2 spraying with dawn solution (not potassium salts of fatty acids , I know).
These 2 applications were 1 week apart for a spider mite problem that killed a 4' alberta spruce in a side bed



This message was edited Jul 11, 2017 11:44 AM

How sad for the Alberta spruce. Please keep us posted.