WHAT IS AN OAK TREE ITCH MITE?
Oak tree itch mites are small microscopic mites which feed on midge larvae. Most common on oak and red oak trees, these microscopic mites cannot be seen by the naked eye but can be a real problem to people.
Itch mites use a range of insects for food and in general don’t conflict with man. But the oak leaf gall mite (aka: itch mite) is one that has come to light in recent years as a significant pest.
This mite was first identified in 1936 and since then has been the cause of several outbreaks of skin dermatitis around the country. In most cases the outbreak is in direct relation to the local midge population but has been linked to other insects like periodic cicada’s. Although the mite typically targets midges, it will take advantage of what’s abundant and plentiful.
Outbreaks typically happen in the fall but can occur anytime from spring to winter. Outbreaks are the direct result of galls breaking open which in turn releases the mites.
“Galls” are hard to see unless you’re holding a leaf (see picture below) and can look different from tree to tree but they tend to target the veins of the leaf. Basically a gall is tree leaf growth that encompasses the eggs being laid on it. So the gall is actually a plant growth but inside the gall is where the host insect and oak mites reside.
The vein of the leaf is where they get nutrition for initial growth.
Inside the gall, developing insects will cause leaves to “brown” and wither. This damage can be subtle and in general, it won’t hurt the tree. At some point in late summer, fall and winter, the browned leaves will fall and galls will open. This releases the mites into the air and since they’re so they’re so small, they can literally “float” for hundreds of yards.
WHERE DO OAK TREE ITCH MITES COME FROM?
As explained above, when midges lay eggs on an oak tree, the tree will naturally grow a “gall” over the eggs. Galls are typically small; for the midge they’re barely noticeable except when you find swollen sections of an oak leaf (pictured to the right). These galls can run the entire length of the leaf and tend to hug the vein though they can extend out to mid sections leaf’s meat as well. For this reason its hard to notice you have an active infestation until the leaves start falling and you can visually “see” the swollen sections.
Watch this short video (less than 60 seconds) to learn more about Oak Itch Mites:
That being said, there is one way to tell ahead of time a problem is developing.
Trees harboring the host midge will have small “gnat” like flies hovering around and under the tree canopy. These “gnats” are actually midges and you’ll really start to see them in September through the end of the year. Most noticeable after a rainfall, in warm climates you’ll find them hovering around acorns as they drop to the ground. But on any sunny day, especially around sunset, its common to see swarms above ground. These swarms are typically seen a few feet off the ground to 20-30 feet up in the air. This is sure sign of an active midge population and though the midges don’t bite, the parasitic itch mite which feeds on the midge is not so harmless.
Also referred to as the “oak leaf itch mite”, they become airborne when galls break open and this seems to happen the most in the fall and winter. When galls open, the mite becomes airborne and can end up on people which in turn can lead to pruritic dermatitis, bites, welts and discomfort.
CAN OAK TREE ITCH MITES INFEST YOUR YARD OR HOME?
Yes and no. Itch mites need a specific host and that host is typically the small midge mentioned above. They also need an oak tree or shrub on which to reside inside a gall.
That said, when the galls start hatching in the fall, the newly released itch mites will be problematic for anyone or any pet in the area. The good news is they don’t release all year long; its for the most part a seasonal problem from fall through winter.
However, oak trees will “hold” their leaves longer than any other tree and so the attached galls can be kept closed for many months until the leaves are finally released.
And if you have piles of oak leaves in the yard? There is a good chance they will be harboring itch mites.
CAN OAK TREE ITCH MITES GET IN YOUR HOME?
Yes. Since they can float in air, the most common way into the home is on your clothing but they can also enter through a door or open windows.
Typical oak tree itch mite problems will start in the spring and then by fall, galls will start to pop which in turn release the mites. Its for this reason the fall and winter seems to be the “worse” time of year and when they’re most active.
CAN YOU SPRAY YOUR YARD OR HOME FOR OAK TREE ITCH MITES?
Yes and no. Unfortunately, there is no direct way to stop the mite from coming around since they travel by air. So once they start to hatch from galls, the problem will usually linger as long as its warm and there are leaves on the trees. But there are two ways to stop the problem from happening.
First, understand the main reason for the problem. Its due to midges laying eggs on your oaks and other trees. So if you don’t want oak mites living on your oaks, spray them with MAXXTHOR EC every spring and summer. One treatment every 30-60 days will keep midges from nesting which in turn will stop oak tree itch mites. Its a pretty simple approach: take away the oak tree itch mite’s source of food and they won’t have a reason to be on your property.
One quart of Maxxthor can treat up to 4 acres so it goes a long way. Treat in April, June and the end of August.
Add 2.5 oz to our HOSE END SPRAYER and then add water up to the 5 gallon line and use this for about 5,000 sq/ft of tree foliage.
The following “short video” (less than 60 seconds long) shows how easy it is to use Maxxthor in our GREEN TOPPED HOSE END SPRAYER.
The Green Topped Hose End (seen below and in the video) will let you take the nozzle off so you can spray as high as your garden hose would normally reach.
To get the most of your treatment, add SPREAD-X BOOST to your tank mix along with the Maxxthor. Boost is an adjuvant, also known as a wetter spreader or spreader sticker. It basically makes water and the mixture more “slippery” so you get better coverage. Treatments will spread 2-3 times wider and penetrate deeper which is critical when trying to “penetrate” the oak mite galls.
The following short video summarizes why Boost can help deliver your treatment to where it matters the most.
Add no more than the rate you’re applying the Maxxthor so in this case, if you’re adding 2.5 oz of Maxxthor to the hose end sprayer, add 2.5 oz of Boost too before adding water. If you’re adding Maxxthor to a pump sprayer at the rate of 1 oz per gallon, use 1 oz of Boost.
And don’t spray in the middle of the day; treat late in the day close to sunset so the treatment can dry without direct sunlight. UV light on the Boost can stress plants if the temperature is 85 degrees or higher so treat 2 hours or less before sunset to reduce sunlight stress if you reside where the temps are high.
BEST SPRAYERS FOR OAK ITCH MITES
We have several sprayers that can work for this task. The 20 GALLON HOSE END isn’t bad but the NO PUMP is the most fun to use for sure.
20 GALLON HOSE END
Any good hose end sprayer can be used to make the treatments but our Green Topped sprayer is the one you want. It’s “tip” can be removed allowing you to spray super high (or least as the power of your garden hose can reach).
Add 5 oz of the Maxxthor to it along with some water filling it about 1/2 of the way up to the 10 gallon line. This will create a tank full with enough material to spray up to 1/4 acre of trees.
BUGSPRAY NO PUMP SPRAYER
For highest reach, get one of our NO PUMP SPRAYERS. This unique sprayer is simple yet very good, easy to use and one of our “favs” for applying insecticides to your homes exterior and landscape (its too powerful for use inside).
Ideally suited for reaching heights of 40+ feet, it has no moving parts other than the valve you hold for spraying and the adjustable brass “bullet” nozzle.
This sprayer is essentially a tank that can hold water, chemical and up to 130 psi of air. The top lid has a clamp and rubber gasket that seats on the “inside” of the sprayer so as you fill it with air, the seal will naturally remain in place, nice and tight.
The top has 3 “ports” (pic below). The port to the far left is used to fill the tank with air. Using any electric air pump (the kind you would use the fill tires on your car), you can safely pressurize this sprayer up to 80 psi. The tank is rated for up to 130 lbs but the relief valve will only allow you to fill it to 80-90 psi before it starts to release. This happens as a safety precautionary action.
For normal use around the home, 50-60 psi should be enough for you empty the liquid from the 2.5 gallon tank assuming you only add 1 gallon of mixed product. True, the sprayer can “hold” 2.5 gallons of liquid but you need room for the air. Our tests show that 50-60 psi will pump out an entire gallon of spray allowing you to reach 25-30 feet heights.
The following video provides a comprehensive summary of how this sprayer works.
For reaching 40+ feet or higher targets, pressurize the sprayer to 80 psi and again, mix up only what you plan on using and no more than 1 gallon of mixed solution at one time so the tank has enough room left to store all the needed “air”. One charge of 80 psi is enough to get the entire mixture to spray out so you don’t have to be concerned about constantly recharging.
The 5 GALLON NO PUMP can hold over 2 gallons of mixed material and can perform equally as well.
Remember, YOU WILL NEED AN AIR COMPRESSOR POWERFUL ENOUGH TO FILL THIS SPRAYER!! WE RECOMMEND ONE THAT CAN DO AT LEAST 100 PSI.
3 GALLON SETUP (remember to only fill it with 1 to 1.5 gallons of mixed solution to leave room for air)
(10% OFF WHEN ORDERING ONLINE)
5 GALLON SETUP (remember to only fill it with 2.5 (3 gallons max) if you want one tankful of air to pump it empty)
(10% OFF WHEN ORDERING ONLINE)
HOW TO SPRAY INSIDE THE HOME FOR OAK ITCH MITES
Inside the home, you’ll need a good space spray to kill off mites that come in through windows and your clothes. Even though these mites will naturally die in a day or two, they can bite. But if you’re actively spraying any room with open windows and where you mostly enter the home, you can kill off itch mites before they have a chance to bite. Itch mites don’t move quickly so even if they land on your clothing, it will take 2-3 hours before they can find an open patch of skin to feed. But once you enter a room treated with Multipurpose, they’ll succumb to the spray and die before they get a chance to bite.
MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER is a water based, easy to apply aerosol and only takes 5-10 seconds of spraying the air to release enough material for the average room. And Multipurpose can be used as needed so applying some 2-3 a day is normal if needed. Its also good for use on dogs for fleas, ticks and other pests so treating them can help keep the mites out.
Multipurpose has a light “cedar” aroma mites don’t like so they’ll be very uncomfortable anywhere its applied.
For a more permanent solution in the home, install AEROSOL MACHINES fitted with CLEAR ZONE refills. Aerosol machines are small, about 1/2 the size of the average cigar box, and can be mounted on the wall or set on a shelf at least 5 feet off the ground. They require two “D” cell batteries and a can of Clear Zone insecticide.
The following “short video” (less than 60 seconds long) summarizes how these machines work and how easy they are to use:
Each machine is configured to go off every 15 minutes and can cover up to 400 sq/ft. When turned on, it will release a small amount of space spray strong enough to control air borne pests like noseeums, gnats, mosquitoes and floating itch mites. This ensures any mites coming in on your clothing or entering through windows will die before they have a chance to bite residents living inside.
Each machine will need a can of Clear Zone. Cans will last at least 30 days and can be used safely in any part of the home including kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms. Keep the machines running as long as itch mites are active in your region. This will normally be 30-90 days on average but can be longer or shorter depending on the outbreak.
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