SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/scout-chigger-bite-care

What should you avoid doing to an itchy chigger bite?

Try not to scratch it.

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  1. Covering it lightly
  2. Scratching it ✔
  3. Using calamine lotion

Why: Chigger bites can cause itchy welts. Avoid scratching, and use an appropriate anti-itch treatment such as calamine lotion.

Huh, didn't know that: Long sleeves, long pants and insect repellent help reduce biting-insect exposure.

The dad joke
The chigger failed art class because it kept making scratch work.
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References

Answer: Scratching it. Chigger bites can cause itchy welts. Avoid scratching, and use an appropriate anti-itch treatment such as calamine lotion.

  1. Wilderness Survival Merit Badge Pamphlet filestore.scouting.org/filestore/Merit_Badge_ReqandRes/Pamphlets/Wilderness%20Survival.pdf
    Try not to scratch chigger bites. You may find some relief by covering a chigger bite with calamine lotion
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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