What purpose do chiggers play in the scheme of things?

Oh man these guys are not fun. Chiggers are the larval form of grass mites. The itching they cause is an allergic reaction to their anticoagulant saliva when they bite to suck blood. Spraying your pants/socks with PineSol/water (1:2 ratio) will keep them from getting on you and biting. Some people alos protect themselves by using powdered sulfur on their boots and pant legs. Good luck!

I'm sure they are somewhere in the food chain, but definitely don't like being part of theirs! I spray my shoes, ankles, pants and shirt sleeves, and then shower as soon as I come in. This has greatly reduced my chigger bites.

Chiggers bite because they consume the dead skin of their host. They don't suck blood. They are the larval form of Harvest miles and are members of the same family as spiders (arachnid) In their adult form they are beneficial to farmers (just like spiders) as they eat harmful insects.

I once came home from a baseball game covered in chiggers (and bites). Luckily I had just read about a cure for the chiggers and itching! Fill your bathtub with water and add a few ounces of regular laundry bleach. Submerge yourself in the water for a few minutes. No more chiggers or itching. Kills them pronto! I did not find the bleach harmful to myself in any way.

Paint over the chigger bite and all around it with clear nail polish...it will suffocate the pest and no itching. ..cheap and it works