The dreaded chigger has been my nemesis for the past three years on the road. Even though winter began a week ago, it has not been winter weather. It has been very mild with temperatures more in the 55-72 range than in the 25-50 range. As a result, I have been outside doing leaf detail, and that means more time for the chiggers, mites, spiders and even the fire ants to have their chance to attack and cause me fits.
I was noticing how well last year's bites healed, leaving only minor skin discoloration in areas only visible if I were wearing a Speedo. Those days are long past, so no worries there. But this morning I felt the telltale itch on my right calf and broke out the stockpile of remedies and planned my strategy for defeating the itch before the scratching ensued. The latest, and I think greatest, cure is lye soap. Using it when I shower has cut down on most of the itchy skin and itchy scalp which tormented me in the past. Also, just rubbing the dry lye soap on the bite locations seems to cut the itch better than the other remedies.
The trees have mostly shed their leaves. I have cleaned all the ditches, raked around the foundations of almost all the houses on the property and gathered virtually every stray leaf in the fields and common areas. Only if we get strong winds from the south or the east will the neighbors' leaves invade us, so I have a handle on the situation......I think. But, I do need to powder the fire ant mounds while the weather is springlike or a lot of people will have a lot of bites to treat, and that means a whole different passel of ointments, creams, oils, grandmother potions and homeopathic remedies.
For now, the lye soap is holding its own.
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