the Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Friday, September 9, 2005 7:00 pm
Itch mites — those tiny insects that bit hundreds of southeast Nebraskans last fall — are back nd are likely to be a problem again this fall.
Several Lincoln residents have reported itchy, red bites after being outdoors over the Labor Day weekend, said Jim Kalisch, University of Nebraska-Lincoln insect diagnostician.
UNL entomologists have been monitoring itch mite numbers this summer using sticky traps.
“Itch mites are emerging now in high numbers in some Lincoln and southeast Nebraska neighborhoods, especially those which have extensive plantings of mature pin and red oaks,” Kalisch said.
Itch mites, tiny creatures associated with galls on the leaves of pin and red oaks, usually bite people’s upper torsos, necks and arms, said Dave Keith, urban integrated pest management specialist in the university’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Mite showers occur when thousands of mites emerge from galls and either drop to the ground or become airborne on wind currents, Keith said.
People who are bitten can expect symptoms within six hours.
Bites are red, from one-fourth to three-quarters of an inch in diameter, with a hard, raised pimple in the middle. Bites are intensely itchy, but scratching offers little relief and is painful.
Itch mites don’t transmit disease. Bites usually heal in about 10 days if they are properly treated and not scratched.
To treat bites, use calamine lotion, an antihistamine cream, such as Benadryl, or a hydrocortisone cream to reduce itching. Wash the site often with soap and use an antiseptic or antibiotic ointment to keep the wound clean.
University entomologists offered these recommendations:
n Continue normal outdoor activity during the day. Keep an eye out for leaf edge galls on pin oaks, red oaks and black oaks and watch closely for bites.
n Plan to take a warm shower and lather well after being outside working, playing or sitting under or near a pin oak, red oak or black oak tree, especially during the evening. Burr oaks are not affected and do not generate mites.
n Wear an insect repellent, but do not use it on children under 3 years. Keith said some people claim sun screen helps reduce bites.
n When returning indoors, wash clothing. Mites are not readily visible and are small enough to penetrate the weave of most fabrics.
n Don’t handle grass clippings or oak leaves with bare hands.
For more information, visit the following online link for the UNL Extension fact sheet on itch mites: http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/insects/nf653.pdf.