If you thought cicadas were bad, what comes after might be worse

Ill. (WTVO) — If you thought cicadas were bad earlier this summer just wait for the bugs that come after.

The significant presence of cicadas in Illinois this summer, resulting from the emergence of two broods, has provided a feast for Oak Leaf Itch Mites preying on the remnants of their eggs.

This kind of mite originated in Kansas, according to Penn State . They were first noticed in the fall of 2004 and have spread to Illinois, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Missouri and more.

“This mite can produce a pruritic (itchy) rash that is often erythematous (a redness of the skin) and papular (with small, raised, pimple-like bumps),” the university stated. “Although they have been reported to feed upon many different insects, it is when they have become very numerous, eliminating their current food source, that they will search for alternative hosts and inadvertently bite humans.”

Illinois State Entomologist Chris Dietrich said it is a matter of survival of the species of bugs, also known as cicada mites. He likens this to when cicadas come out in large numbers so predators cannot possibly eat them all.

“It’s basically the strategy that’s evolved over time just to avoid predation and just continue the species,” said Dietrich. “So I think it’s really cool, even though it kind of makes people uncomfortable, you know, especially when they’re getting bitten by an edge mite.”

Thankfully the mites cannot survive inside your home and they should be gone by the end of August.

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