Wear socks & always spray ankles & legs when out in the yard.

A doctor told me that heat applied to a musquito bite will take the itching away. Misquitoes inject proteins into us when they bite, and the heat dissolves the protein. It might work with chiggers too? Showering with hot water, as hot as you can stand it, usually takes care of chigger bites for me. So for the musquito bites I heat up a large spoon on the stove, and then press it against the bite. You don't want to burn or blister your skin, so don't make the spoon too hot.

I get these bites quite often. I don't do anything about them and they go away on their own.

Ps a safer way to heat a spoon would be to put it in boiling water. I can envisage nasty burns if heated on a stove. Or make a wooden spoon poultice. Put cotton wool into the bowl of the floor. Bind on with a bandage and then dip the poultice in boiling water.

Thanks, marmiegard, I will wear socks and long pants when I put in a few more plant supports yet.

As to using heat, I have something called a therapik, which slowly heats the spot, so that you don’t burn yourself. It is fantastic for mosquito bites, and you can easily carry it around, so you can treat as quickly as possible. It is supposed to work with bee and wasp stings as well, even jellyfish, as far as I remember. I did use it on a group of the chigger bites, but it didn't do anything useful. Maybe I was too late though, it was at least two or three days after I got bitten. Will have to try it immediately next time!

Nothing to get rid of the nasties in the garden? That is most important for my son: he has kids playing in the yard.

you could try mechanically to mow the play area regularly, that could slow them down

is it chigger mites perhaps?

against those it could help to water the area

otherwise most effective insectizides are not really something you want near small kids.

if the garden/ yard is somewhat bigger, I would try to create a cleared play area

or spray something and wait the neccessairy days??

They are thinking about clearing the area, but it is not weeds, but nice plants, so they are hesitant. I don’t know what is available as insecticides in the Netherlands, but I would expect not much, like in Canada. Which may be a good thing in itself.

Floral, you are so stoic ;-). I am going to protect myself.

in oder to do this properly, they would need to ID the "bug" properly.

If they are really sure they would probably get the right stuff at a garden center. For that purpose it is vital to note where the bites are located mostly and perhaps a picture ot two of a fresh bite could help