Red Bugs

Red Bug Facts

• Other names: chiggers and harvest mites; they belong to the mite family Trombiculidae, and “chigger” refers only to the biting larval stage
• Size: larvae are smaller than 1/100 of an inch and hard to see without magnification; adults are roughly 1/20 inch long
• Color: larvae are orange to reddish; adults are bright red to orange-red
• Appearance: larvae have six legs; nymphs and adults have eight legs and a fuzzy, velvety body shaped a bit like a figure eight

The Red Bug Life Cycle and Where It Lives

Only one stage of this mite bothers people. Adult harvest mites lay eggs in damp soil. The six-legged larvae, the chiggers, hatch and climb onto low grass and plant stems, where they wait, often in clusters, for a passing animal. After feeding on a host for a few days, a larva drops to the ground and develops through nymph stages into an adult.

What they eat: larvae feed on the skin of animals. Wild hosts include ground-nesting birds, rodents, rabbits, snakes and lizards, and people and pets are accidental hosts. Nymphs and adults do not bite at all. They live in the soil and eat insect eggs and tiny soil creatures, which makes them harmless and even useful.

Look-alikes:

• Clover mites are tiny red mites that sometimes crawl over walls and windowsills in large numbers, mostly in cooler months. They feed on plants, do not bite, and leave a red smear when crushed.

Where they live: chiggers do best where soil stays moist and vegetation gives shade and cover, especially along the edges between lawns and woods or brush.

In Florida: red bugs are common statewide in grassy, brushy and wooded areas, and “red bug” is the traditional Southern name for them. They are most active during the warm months, and in South Florida they can be around much of the year. To check your own yard, see how to tell if your yard has red bugs.