Disturbing Explanation for Mysterious Red Welts Appearing on People After Emergence of Massive Cicada Brood

The cicada emergence of 2024 is over, but it has left behind an unpleasant souvenir.

This year’s massive brood is being blamed for a spike in bites related to the oak leaf itch mite, Dr. Gene Kritsky of Mount St. Joseph University in Chicago said, according to WMAO-TV.

This is not new, he said.

Seventeen years ago after Cicada Brood XIII faded away, “people in Chicago who had oak trees in the yards, started to complain of bites after the cicada emergence,” he said.

Insects called “oak leaf itch mites” may be to blame for a spread of red bug bites this summer – and cicadas are serving as unwitting accomplices. https://t.co/bLjIUzIgQC

— FOX Weather (@foxweather) August 16, 2024

“It turned out that the oak itch mite was found in the egg nests of Brood XIII cicadas,” Kritsky said.

“These mites are here all the time, but they have increased their numbers because there have been more food for them,” Carolina Pediatrics & Piedmont Medical Center pediatrician Dr. Carlos Paxtor said, according to WBTV-TV.

Female cicadas leave hundreds of eggs for the mites to feast upon.

“These tiny spiders that are about less than a quarter of a millimeter — so tiny that it is not perceptible to our normal vision,” Paxtor said.

Avoiding an area of trees will not let you escape, Paxtor said, noting “they can also fly with the air and go in other places.”

“The major problem with this is how we respond to these bites,” Paxtor said. “[When you] start scratching with dirty hands, you can also bring germs inside and cause infections.”

These mites are believed to have come from Europe, and were noticed in the U.S. in 2004 in Kansas, according to USA Today.

Since then, their range is roughly from Illinois to Texas.

Although almost invisible to the naked eye, the mites are reddish-tan with a shiny exoskeleton, according to the Penn State Extension.

🌳🚨 Dealing with Oak Leaf Itch Mites 🚨🌳

The cicada emergence might be over, but oak leaf itch mites that feed on cicada eggs can cause itchy, pimple-like rashes. Read these tips to detect, prevent, and treat any bites you may notice. Learn more: https://t.co/d9jo1Udsuq pic.twitter.com/BHMdMijX6g

— Village of Villa Park (@villapark_il) August 16, 2024

Bites leave behind reddened skin and an itchy rash.

The University of Maryland Extension suggests using anti-itch products unless the symptoms are severe enough to see a doctor.