Chiggers are tiny, 6-legged wingless organisms that mature to become a type of mite. They are also known as harvest mites, red bugs, berry bugs, bush-mites, or scrub-itch mites. Chiggers are found in tall grass, weeds, and wooded areas near water. They are most active during the summer months when temperatures are hot. The larvae, which are the stage that bites humans, are about 170–210 μm in diameter, normally light red in color, and covered in hairs. After hatching, baby chiggers wait on plants for people or animals to pass by. When they do, the chigger attaches to them using tiny claws. Once attached, it pierces their skin and injects its saliva, which contains digestive juices that dissolve skin cells. The chigger then eats the dissolved cells, which provide the protein it needs to grow into an adult. After a couple of days, the chigger falls off, leaving a red bump on the skin. Chigger bites are itchy red bumps that can look like pimples, blisters, or small hives. They are usually found around the waist, ankles, or in warm skin folds. Itching from a chigger bite may not develop until 24–48 hours after the bite, so the victim may not associate the specific exposure with the bite itself. Chiggers do not burrow into the skin or suck blood, as is commonly assumed. If a person experiences severe dermatitis or secondary infection associated with chigger bites, a doctor should be consulted.