Can You Get Chiggers from Moss on Trees?

Knowing the Enemy

• Adult chiggers measure about 1/20 inch long and have hairy, red bodies while chigger larvae are about 1/120 inch long and have light-red, orange or yellow bodies. Chiggers don’t bore into skin or feed on blood. Instead, each chigger inserts its mouth into a pore or hair follicle and feeds on skin cell fluids. When chiggers bite, they create painful welts that itch intensely for several days. An attached chigger can stay on the skin and feed for three to four days.

Understanding the Relationship to Moss

• Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is often seen hanging from trees where it is hardy, U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11. In excessive growth, Spanish moss can shade trees and weight their limbs. The moss generally doesn’t harm the trees it infests, however, and acts as a protective cover for various animals. Unfortunately, Spanish moss provides ideal hiding places for chiggers. Manually removing and destroying Spanish moss from trees can help reduce the possibility of a chigger infestation.

Controlling Chiggers

• Using an insecticide containing carbaryl helps to control chiggers infesting a yard. Each brand of carbaryl insecticide displays specific information about chigger management; follow the instructions on your insecticide's label. For example, one brand recommends diluting 1.5 fluid ounces of the insecticide with 1 gallon of water and spraying the solution on tree trunks, stems, twigs and leaf surfaces to the point the solution runs off those objects. That brand's solution can be reapplied at seven-day intervals up to four times per year. Prevent children and pets from entering the sprayed area until the solution dries.

Keeping Your Lawn Chigger-Free

• Implementing preventive measures is the best defense against chiggers. Maintaining a lawn to keep it undesirable to chiggers greatly reduces the chance of a chigger infestation. Keeping the area free of tall grass, weeds and overhanging vegetation creates an unpleasant environment for chiggers. Eliminating vegetation that casts shade on lawn allows sunlight to shine on the area, which helps to keep chiggers at bay because they thrive in moist, shaded sites. Regularly mowing grass at the lowest recommended height level for the grass species helps reduce humidity levels amid the grass blades and allows sunlight to shine where otherwise chiggers may hide.