What is biting me at the gunks?

One thing that might work for the itch is a hot spoon.

Yurywrote:

As for my experience only mosquitoes, blackflies, deerflies, horseflies and ticks live in upstate NY.
I never saw any chigger there.

You realize that the Gunks are considered upstate? Yeah, just barely in my book, but it's true.

Could it  be  cougars biting you? Have you been drinking?

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

Could it  be  cougars biting you? Have you been drinking?

Those bites tend to show up on my neck. Though, I also don't notice them till the next morning. You might be on to something.

Yurywrote:

As for my experience only mosquitoes, blackflies, deerflies, horseflies and ticks live in upstate NY.
I never saw any chigger there.

Chiggers are too small to see.

Gunkiemikewrote:

Chiggers are too small to see.

No, I’ve seen them numerous times. Little red dots. Crushed a good number of them, but never enough!!!!

Gunkiemikewrote:

Chiggers are too small to see.

The 6 legged one on the far left is a chigger, the rest are ticks (8 legs):

That’s quite a collection, Marc. Would not want any of them on my finger, even for an educational photo.

Alan Rubinwrote:

No, I’ve seen them numerous times. Little red dots. Crushed a good number of them, but never enough!!!!

Those are the adult mites.  But it's not the adults that get you.  It's the larvae, which are not readily visible, that do the biting.  

Marc801 Cwrote:

The 6 legged one on the far left is a chigger, the rest are ticks (8 legs):

Those are all deer AKA black legged ticks. The left-most is a nymph.  At least that's according to several sites, including the source of your photo:

link to source

Gunkiemikewrote:

Those are all deer AKA black legged ticks. The left-most is a nymph.  At least that's according to several sites, including the source of your photo:

link to source

Totally missed that. I actually found the photo on a page that was devoted to discussing chiggers.

I too have seen them with the naked eye. Always fun to be sitting at the top of the cliff and to see a little red dot moving across the white rocky surface. Lets you know what’s coming later.

This doesn't make me want to climb in that area... Is this an elaborate campaign to decrease crowds at the gunks? 

SethGwrote:

I too have seen them with the naked eye. Always fun to be sitting at the top of the cliff and to see a little red dot moving across the white rocky surface. Lets you know what’s coming later.

Once again, those are the adult mites.  They do not bother humans.  It's the larvae that cause the damage and they are not readily visible to the naked eye.

Ira OMCwrote:

This doesn't make me want to climb in that area... Is this an elaborate campaign to decrease crowds at the gunks? 

Yes, nature is like  that. Unfortunately it hasn’t worked very well. Actually, my recollection is that chiggers are a mid-summer pest in the Gunks ( after the black flies and before the worst of the mosquitoes!!!) —-you’d think the combination would be enough to keep the crowds down!!! They really do seem to diminish during August and I don’t remember them being an issue during the fall.

Alan Rubinwrote:

Yes, nature is like  that. Unfortunately it hasn’t worked very well. Actually, my recollection is that chiggers are a mid-summer pest in the Gunks ( after the black flies and before the worst of the mosquitoes!!!) —-you’d think the combination would be enough to keep the crowds down!!! They really do seem to diminish during August and I don’t remember them being an issue during the fall.

The fall has ladybugs

Hi, one other thing I have been contemplating.  where did you get them?   I have had issues on yum yum yab yumb, when I sat on a rock at a 2nd pitch belay (years ago), and twice last year on Arch Direct (Wick's Banana).  I have definitely seen the little red buggers running rampant on the rock (usually where I am trying to sit)

Brandon Awrote:

Hi, one other thing I have been contemplating.  where did you get them?   I have had issues on yum yum yab yumb, when I sat on a rock at a 2nd pitch belay (years ago), and twice last year on Arch Direct (Wick's Banana).  I have definitely seen the little red buggers running rampant on the rock (usually where I am trying to sit)

This trip we were on and around Son of Easy O/Maria/Sixish.

My recent experience tells me you all should stay away from Millbrook, it is a perfect storm for chigger attacks.

EDIT: I just want to add that after going to Millbrook this past Sunday I am COVERED in chigger bites! It's the worst I've ever experienced. I've always felt it was reasonably effective to just wash and scrub when I get home but at Millbrook you begin your day by bushwhacking and sitting/setting up at the top of the cliff, then you rap not to the ground but to another dirty ledge. I think the whole process of getting chigger bites starts much earlier there. I was feeling the effects in the car, before I even had a chance to get home. I am considering trying Permethrin but I have a cat so I'm very worried about having this substance in the house. Makes me not want to try it. Anyone with a cat used Permethrin and not had a problem?