2 Non-related ?'S 1. Chigger Bites/toddler Bed

#1 - The nail polish cuts off the air supply to the chiggers, so they die. It does work, so give it a try!

#2 - Once you move him out of the crib, he'll be able to get out of his bed on his own. Think of all the things this means...if he doesn't want to go to sleep, he'll get out of bed. If he wakes up while you're asleep or otherwise occupied (i.e. taking a shower), he'll have free reign in the house - unless you put a gate up. That said, any time the child is old enough to actually get out of his/her crib, it's time to move them. A daughter of someone I worked with broke an arm getting out of her crib, so it can be dangerous.

#1 - For the chigger bites, clear nail polish really does work. I've used it before, and it's the only thing I've found that fixes the problem.

#2 - I moved both my boys to a twin bed around the age of 2. With both boys, we made a big deal about the big boy bedding and sheets and totally did a room make over to a more grown up theme than the nursery. For my first, it was because we were pregnant with #2, and I didn't want him to feel as if he was losing his bed to the baby, so we wanted plenty of time for him to "forget" about using the crib before it was set up for the baby. As for my second child, he was climbing out of his crib. (He'd jump on the mattress and fling himself over the edge like a pole vaulter - I can't believe he didn't break his neck!) I didn't do a toddler bed because I didn't want to invest the money in a bed and bedding he would only use a short while. (Our crib did not convert to a toddler bed.) So, we got a twin bed, pushed it up against the wall and put a bed rail on the outside of it. I also had a step stool at the foot of the bed so they could get up in it. Both of my boys did really well with the transition. The first couple nights were tough and we had to constantly put them back to bed and reiterate they are not to get out. After a couple nights, it wasn't a problem, and they both adjusted well. In your case, at only 16 months, if your son is not trying to get out of the crib, I would wait. That still seems like a young age to me, but I have known people who have been able to make it work. If your son is happy in his crib, I wouldn't push the issue just yet. However, if he's trying to climb out, then it is probably time to make a change.

I always moved my children from their crib to a bed when they would start climbing out of the crib on a consistent basis. I figured that by constantly climbing out of the crib they might eventually fall and hurt themselves and if they could get out anyway, it was time to try the regular bed. My children always started out with a regular twin bed, but we put it on the floor to help them get in and out and to prevent them from falling several feet out of bed. It also gave them a kind of nest and they were more willing to stay in bed and cozy up to their blankets and stuffed animals. It took several weeks for a couple of them. I hope this helps.

Clear nail polish works by cutting off the air around the skin, which causes itching. (It's a common misconception that chiggers live in your skin, but that's not true). Any anti-itch cream, like Aveeno or others, that creates an air barrier can help reduce the itching. Also, he can try taking oatmeal baths (you can get special packets at any pharmacy that you add to warm bath water).

There is something called Chiggerid you can try. When my son got it, he ended up scratching them with dirty fingernails and got folliculitis which caused him to be on antibiotics to get rid of it. It spread quickly all over his body. Be sure and pay attention to the bites everyday to make sure they don't spread.
As far as putting the toddler in a big bed, if you have no problem with him getting up at night and doing whatever then do it. Be prepared to wake up with the house a wreck or eggs smashed on the floor (personal experience). Kids will be kids!