This year appearance of cicadas It was a double threat to insects, with two groups of periodical cicadas that only emerge from the ground every 13 to 17 years making a simultaneous appearance. But even after the two broods return underground, it seems they can leave behind something annoying and itchy.
According to WebMD, cicada eggs are a food source for oak leaf itch mites, tiny arachnids that aren't even a quarter of a millimeter long and are “invisible to the naked eye.” Each fall, several states have reported outbreaks of this pest, also known as Pyemotes herfsi. They've been linked to cicadas before, and the Illinois Department of Public Health released a report in 2008 saying that cicadas were the only insect parasitized by the mites the previous year. It was the first confirmed report of the mites terrorizing cicada eggs at the time.
“Periodic cicadas of generation XIII emerged early in the year and laid large numbers of eggs on terminal branches of many deciduous tree species in the outbreak area,” the report says. “It appears that this abundance of cicada eggs served as a host upon which populations of cicada birds became established.” P. herfsi “mites amplified to outbreak levels.”
In 2021, The Agency reported that some residents in the DC area were experiencing mites after the cicadas left.
“We wake up at night just scratching ourselves,” one woman told the Post. “… It's like we have white paint stains all over our bodies now that we use the calamine.” [lotion]The sores are red and swollen, so it's not pleasant.”
In response to that article, University of Maryland entomology professor Paula Shrewsbury said the mites typically feed on mosquito larvae, and once they develop, they “fall from the tree… and can be carried by the wind for great distances.” From there, they land on people and animals and bite.
People are often exposed to the mites when they are near trees that have been infested with insects that the mites feed on or when they handle fall foliage, she added. Unlike chigger bites, which typically appear on the lower body around the waist or under socks and other tight clothing, scabies mite bites typically appear around the neck, shoulders and chest, she said.
The latest appearance of cicadas seems to have brought them back.
“I think they're back and I don't know what to do with them,” one TikTok user said in June, showing a raised bump on her arm surrounded by a red area that looked like a rash. “… They last forever… They're horrible.”
What you need to know about oak leaf itch mites
According to PennState Extension, these tiny mites are “elongated, reddish-brown, and have a shiny exoskeleton.” Females are typically larger than males, so they can have up to 250 offspring at a time. Adult males emerge from their mother's abdomen before the females do, and once the females emerge, the males mate with them and then die.
The females then find a gall, or a growth on a plant caused by mites, insects or some other type of infestation. The larvae in the gall are paralyzed by the mite's venom, which is strong enough to paralyze prey 166,000 times larger than the mite, PennState Extension says.
Most people are bitten by these mites in late summer and early fall, when the species is most populous.
“Studies have shown that mites can fall from trees in numbers of up to 370,000 per day,” PennState Extension says. “They are also easily carried by the wind and can enter through window screens, thereby biting people who don't usually go outside.”
How to prevent oak leaf mite bites
PennState Extension says eradicating mites is difficult, as tree sprays typically don't seep into the galls where the mites hide. Some people find DEET helpful, but the best mode of protection, the site says, is to limit time under infested trees and wash clothing and shower immediately after being near those areas.
Symptoms can appear within 10 hours of exposure, Shrewsbury said.
“The bites may look like raised, red areas with a small central blister on the skin,” she said. “The bites are itchy and can be painful if scratched.”
How to Treat Oak Leaf Mite Bites
Calamine lotions and anti-itch creams can reduce the itchiness of bites. Although it may be difficult, it is recommended not to scratch, as it can lead to infection.
