Chiggers do not live in Spanish moss

Q: My friend wants to send me Spanish moss to see if it will grow here. How do I treat it to kill the chiggers in it?

A: If they gather it from tree branches, there will be no chiggers in it. Chigger nymphs (the critters that bite, suck blood and cause an unceasing itch) know they won’t find victims in the trees. They hang out on the tips of grass blades and very low shrubbery, the better to latch on to a passing mouse or deer or human. Tell your friends to spray insect repellent on their shoes and ankles and use a bamboo pole to pull the stuff out of the trees. If nothing hits the ground, the Spanish moss will be chigger-free.

The Myth of Chiggers in Spanish moss