Do Predatory Mites Eat Chiggers?

Question

Do predatory mites eat chiggers?

Answer 1

Predatory mites do not typically eat chiggers. Although both are part of the mite family, they occupy very different ecological niches. Predatory mites—such as Phytoseiulus persimilis or Neoseiulus californicus—primarily target soft-bodied pest insects like spider mites, thrips, or aphids. Chiggers, on the other hand, are larval-stage parasitic mites from the Trombiculidae family, and they don't generally cross paths with the types of predatory mites used in gardens.

Chiggers tend to live in grassy or wooded outdoor areas and feed on vertebrate hosts (like humans or pets) by injecting enzymes into the skin. Predatory mites prefer plant surfaces or soil, where they hunt much smaller prey. So even if both are present in the same general environment, predatory mites don’t recognize chiggers as food.

If chiggers are your concern, you’re better off reducing tall grasses, keeping edges trimmed, and using sulfur-based repellents or diatomaceous earth to create inhospitable conditions—rather than relying on predatory mites.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/chigger-bugs-in-garden.htm