They might be tiny, but they can pack a powerful bite that leaves folks itching for weeks.

It’s chigger season.

“It’s going to be another banner year for chiggers,” Clinton State Park manager Jerry Schecher said. “We’ve gotten this rain and they like that. We’re going to have a bunch of them this year.”

And being outside for extended periods – like over the three-day Memorial Day weekend – means greater exposure to chiggers.

Most Kansans are familiar with chigger mites. In their hatching and larval stage, the barely visible parasites latch onto animals and feed off skin cells. The six-legged nuisance usually resides in tall grasses, bushes and shrubs near water.

Chiggers inject saliva that breaks down skin cells, said Barbara Schnitker, director of nurses for the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department. Skin reacting to the saliva is what causes the itching and swelling.

Bruce Chladny, horticulture agent at K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County, said he’s received one call asking whether the bug had surfaced this season.

Using a blanket to shield himself from chiggers, Aaron Keller, 19, a Kansas University sophomore enjoyed some sun last week at his Lawrence home.

“They should be out,” he said. “The ground temperatures are warm enough. But I’ve not encountered them yet.”

Schecher noted that the area experienced a mild winter. That likely means there will be more chiggers, he said.

“And if you don’t protect yourself, you’re going to be lunch for the chiggers,” Schecher said.

Schecher and Chladny said the best way to prevent chigger bites is a good offense. People planing to spend time in the great outdoors should use bug repellent with DEET.

First-time users of DEET should make sure they get a product with a lower percentage of it.

“You have to be careful because your skin can react to DEET,” Schecher said. “There’s stuff on the market with 100 percent concentration of DEET and you don’t want to put that directly on your skin.”

Schecher said dry sulfur also works to repel chiggers. He suggested that people put some in a sock and dust themselves with it.

But those who end up with bites should avoid scratching them.

“The itching usually starts a day or two after the bite and it can take up to 10 days before bites begin to fade,” Schnitker said. “It can be rough because they can itch. But people should really try not to do that because the bite can become infected.

Schnitker suggested using over-the-counter products – such as Benadryl – to ease the itching.