Cicadas attract pests, nearly invisible mites that bite and can cause a rash. What to know
While cicadas may be annoying — they're loud, they leave their nymph shells everywhere after molting and they may upset your pet's stomach if your dog gorges on them — the insects are harmless, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. They're even beneficial: They're a valuable food source for native wildlife, per ODNR, and the nymphs emerging from underground can help your lawn, according to The Nature Conservancy.
However, cicadas can attract a pest, the oak leaf itch mite. And as the name suggests, these mites can cause an irritating rash in humans. Here's what to know.
According to WebMD, these mites are nearly invisible to the naked eye, being about 0.2 mm long. They commonly feed on larvae of an oak gall midge, a type of fly, that lives on pin oak leaves. Starting in late July, these mites drop from the tree or are blown on the wind, landing on animals and humans. Their bites can cause an itchy rash of small red bumps that can be painful to scratch. The rashes can be intense.
They're also known to feed on cicada eggs, per WebMD, and were linked to a 2007 outbreak of rashes in Chicago, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, where the mites were feeding on 17-year cicada eggs. In 2021, the University of Maryland Extension found it likely that Brood X cicada eggs were likely the mite's food source for an outbreak of rashes in the Washington D.C. area, as reported by the Washington Post.
If you develop a rash, an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion as well as antihistamines may help with the itch, per WebMD. Don't scratch; that may cause a bacterial infection.
Controlling the mites on the trees is difficult, according to the PennState Extension. Sprays aren't effective because the mites are protected and hidden in leaf folds or galls. The use of insect repellent containing DEET has shown mixed results.
"People can best protect themselves by limiting their time from under infested trees and by immediately removing and laundering clothing and then showering," PennState Extension writes.
After 17 years underground, Brood XIV is emerging, and it will bring millions if not billions of the noisy insects to Southwest Ohio and a dozen other states this spring.
Brood XIV is one of 15 recognized broods of periodical cicadas that emerge every 13 or 17 years, and one of four that appear in the Buckeye State, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. They emerge when the soil temperature reaches 64 degrees, which typically happens in the second half of May.
Annual cicadas emerge worldwide each year, but periodical cicadas are found only in eastern North America. They live underground as nymphs for either 13 or 17 years before emerging above ground in massive numbers. Different populations of periodical cicadas are called 'broods' and are numbered with Roman numerals.
Brood XIV cicadas will stretch from northern Georgia to Massachusetts. In Ohio, they will emerge in a more than dozen counties, per ODNR, mostly in Southwest Ohio:
Adams
Brown
Butler
Champaign
Clermont
Clinton
Gallia
Greene
Hamilton
Highland
Jackson
Lawrence
Pike
Ross
Scioto
Warren
Washington
They are active for three to four weeks as they focus on mating and reproduction, per ODNR. Male periodical cicadas produce a deafening chorus of calls to attract females. Once mated, female cicadas deposit their eggs into the branches of trees and shrubs.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cicadas invading Ohio in 2025 bring an itchy pest. Here's what to know
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