Learn how to discover nature with ease as you take the itch out of summer. Every Missourian knows chiggers are the worst pests in the summer months. First they appear as annoying red bumps then the itch begins and spreads. Chiggers are not bugs or any other type of insect. They're a juvenile form of a specific family of mites. Although they're almost invisible to the unaided eye...when several chiggers cluster together near an elastic waistband or wristwatch you might see their bright red color.