How to Get Rid of Chiggers in Your Yard Before They Bite You and Your Pets

Chiggers are tiny, bright red mites that are too small to spot with the naked eye. However, despite their small size, they can be very harmful to you and your pets. These bugs feed on skin tissue by piercing it and injecting digestive enzymes, leaving behind itchy bites.

While these pests don't typically transmit diseases in the United States, excessive itching from a bite can lead to an infection. Additionally, chiggers live in large groups, so oftentimes you won’t get just one bite, but a cluster at once—and they can last days, or even weeks. The good news? There are plenty of natural ways to remove these pesky arachnids from your yard.

Cut Back Tall Grass

Chiggers like to live in tall, dense grasses that provide shade and moisture. “Cutting back overgrown grass and keeping a well-mowed lawn can reduce harborage areas,” says Emma Grace Crumbley, an entomologist at Mosquito Squad Plus.

To prevent them from returning, regularly mow your lawn, especially around areas that get a lot of foot traffic. You can also create a mulch or gravel border around high-risk areas, like the edge of the woods, fences, or gardens—chiggers dislike crossing dry, open zones.

Mowing is an easy way to reduce potential insect bites, but it does require extra effort. “Chigger problems in your yard can be an indicator that your outdoor spaces need maintenance, and that usually involves some hard work,” adds Crumbley.

Increase Your Yard’s Sunlight

Shady areas provide the perfect temperature for chiggers. “Any area you can open up to more sunlight is an area where they will be less likely to be found,” says Crumbley.

For example, you can cut back tree branches, trim bushes and hedges, and relocate wood piles and leaf litter away from your home. As a prevention method, keep your yard tidy and keep it from overgrowing, especially during the summer months.

Reduce Wild Animal Presence

Most chiggers enter a yard through animal activity, such as rodents or deer.

“Deterring these animals by building a fence around your home or setting up visual deterrents can help prevent chigger problems,” says Crumbley. A fence can keep out common garden pests as well, which might dine on your veggies and plants.

The downside? Your yard will no longer be a haven for native fauna, and you won’t see as many animals on your property. 

Redesign Your Landscape

Move away from the standard mulch and vegetation, and try incorporating more gravel and rocks into your landscape. The latter isn't a chigger's ideal habitat, as they don't prefer dry, warm zones.

Therefore, yards that incorporate these features will not host chiggers, or very few. “However, this method for avoiding chiggers can be extremely labor-intensive, depending on the current landscape and your desired outcome,” says Natasha Wright, the technical director at Braman Termite & Pest Elimination.

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Use Essential Oils

Essential oils mimic a neurotransmitter that is found in insects and their relatives.

“While essential oils are relatively harmless to humans, they cause nervous system disruption in these pests and can kill them,” says Wright. She recommends clove oil, rosemary oil, peppermint oil, and cinnamon oil.

Unfortunately, this method only kills chiggers when the essential oils make contact with them. And the oils don't last very long—perhaps only a week or so.

Get Free-Range Chickens

Chickens eat many garden and yard pests, like flies, mites, and chiggers, according to Marcus Griswold, founder and entomologist at Your Bug Club.

Guinea fowl also eat mites and ticks, so there are options for those who want a different farm animal as well. However, depending on where you live, you may not be allowed to have a chicken or guinea fowl.