Mite bites send students itching across campus

Mite+bites+send+students+itching+across+campus

Sarah Lammers, Staff Writer

Something has been chomping its way across Kansas City area college campuses in recent weeks, leaving students waking up with red, itchy bites.

The answer: oak mites. Although mosquito or spider bites are a common occurrence during this time of the year, oak mites are largely unheard of insects. They are invisible to the human eye, but many Rockhurst students have been scratching away at the little welts they leave on the skin. Emily Renna, a sophomore, has had her fair share of bites.

“I thought I had bed bugs,” Renna said. “I tried washing my sheets, which was ineffective, but then I saw information about oak mites on the news. The pictures looked exactly like my bites.”

A large problem with the mites is that most people don’t even know what they are. Some become worried when the bites start to appear because they assume the welts are from a spider or chiggers.

According to KMBC News, the Midwest is facing the largest breakout of oak mites in over a decade, which could be attributed to the wet, mild summer. However, little research is available on the mites because they are difficult to track.

The pesky bugs fall from oak trees onto their human hosts. They can be carried distances by any sort of wind current. The bites aren’t dangerous, but they itch like crazy, and a lot of scratching can lead to infection.

These bumps typically have a small head in the center that is filled with fluid. The redness surrounding a bite can cover an area about the size of a quarter. While some people are only getting a couple bites, others are covered with 20 to 30 spots.

It seems that students living in Rockhurst’s Townhouse Village are experiencing the worst of the bites. Oak trees surround this part of campus.

Anna Boucher is a resident of the THV community. Boucher started getting bites on her arms in the middle of September.

“I didn’t know what they were at first,” Boucher said. “I was getting freaked out because [the mites] could be crawling on me and I wouldn’t even know.”

Students aren’t the only ones dealing with the mites. Dr. Katie Clune, an associate professor of communication, has been having issues with the bugs at home.

“It’s random and it’s not going away,” Clune said, referring to a bite on her knee. Clune has multiple oak trees in her front yard.

In addition to Rockhurst, students at other colleges in the area, such as Avila, the University of Kansas, and Kansas State, are stopping by their on-campus health centers with questions about the mysterious bumps on their bodies.

Unfortunately, there is currently no known repellent to keep the mites away. Bites can be treated with Benadryl or cortisone cream. Experts also recommend showering and washing clothes immediately after being outside for an extended period of time.

Though many students are still reporting new bites, it seems that the oak mites are slowly dying off.

“I would say as the colder weather started to come around, the bites have been occurring less,” Renna said.

It is likely that the bugs will be around until the first frost of the season.