How to Get Rid of Oak Mites Naturally

Oak mites are a pest that has been around for years.

Even though they don’t do much harm to oak trees, they can create itchy and painful bites, reproduce fast, and swiftly move from tree to tree.

How do you get rid of them? How do you take care of the bites?

And that’s exactly what we’re here for: to help answer your questions!

What Are Oak Mites?

The oak mites are minute parasites that live on oak trees.

They are arachnids, not insects, and share their genus with spiders and ticks, which makes them a more accurate classification.

Oak mites were first discovered in the United States in 2004.

As a result, oak mites have grown to be a major issue in the United States, especially in the summer and fall, when they reproduce prolifically and spread over the country like wildfires.

To make matters worse, oak mites are extremely tough to eradicate.

Midge fly larvae are a primary food source for them. Hence they prefer to hide in oak galls.

How to Identify Oak Mites

If you notice that your oak tree’s leaves are becoming a darker shade of brown, it is time to prune.

Oak mites may be present if this occurs.

Late summer is the peak time for oak mite activity because of the rapid development of the mites and an extremely efficient reproductive system.

They have strong legs, which allow them to move quickly on the leaves.

Oak mites are small and red in color.

If you see any of these signs, take action and get rid of oak mites naturally.

There are many ways to do this, but one of the most effective is using a combination of horticultural oil and soap spray.

This will suffocate the mites.

Be sure to contact a professional for assistance in treating your trees.

How Do Oak Mites Travel?

Oak mites are small, plant-feeding insects that are found throughout the United States.

They feed on plants like oak trees and their leaves — but more importantly, they can become a serious problem for people who live in wooded areas where these trees grow.

If you’ve ever seen oak mites before, then you probably noticed how tiny they are — so small, in fact, that they’re easily carried away by the wind.

In addition to their size, oak mites also have a unique way of traveling from one place to another.

Since they feed on the larvae of oak tree galls, the mites have little motivation to stay on the tree after these larvae are reduced.

Life Span of Oak Mites

Oak mites are most prevalent in the summer and fall months, between August and October when they are most active.

At one point in time, more than 300,000 oak mites can fall off a single tree, and many generations can be born in only one week.

Oak Mites feed on new sap produced by the leaves of an oak tree.

They bore into the stem of oak trees and suck sap while injecting a toxin that kills plant cells in their path, which can cause branch dieback or even death to an entire tree.

Oak mites are small insects with three stages in their life cycle: eggs, larva (nymph), and adult.

There is only one generation of oak mites per year, but multiple generations are born in one week.

The life span of an adult female is about two weeks, and the males only last a few days.

Oak mite eggs are laid on twigs where they hatch into larvae within five to seven days.

Once hatched, larva move to leaves for feeding, which lasts about two weeks.

Once the larvae are done feeding, they drop to the ground, where they burrow into the soil or leaf litter and form a cocoon for pupation.

The larva stays in their cocoons until spring when warm weather starts again, so they can hatch out as adults and repeat the cycle all over again.

How To Tell If Your Oak Trees Have Oak Mites

There are several ways to tell if your oak trees have oak mites.

The first indicators are brown, crusty appearing leaves on your oak trees. If you see this, it is time to take action!

The bites are the next indicator of oat mites, which are less visible and more physical.

Typically, the rash appears within 12 hours of being bitten and can linger for up to two weeks after the bite has occurred.

The bites are usually small red bumps which will erupt into a rash if you touch them, think itchy hives!

Mites that favor red oak trees and common oak trees can infest any oak tree.

If your yard is full of oaks, this means that oak mites can be a problem for you.

Small black flies flying around your oak trees in early fall are another solid sign that your oak tree is infested with oak mites or that an oak mite infestation is possible in the future. Look out for these pesky critters!

Where Do Oak Tree Itch Mites Come From?

There are a number of gnat-like insects that deposit eggs on oak trees.

They include midges, wasps, and ants.

A hormone is also sprayed on the leaf containing these eggs, which causes it to expand abnormally and hatch larvae within them.

This leads to the formation of a type of leaf-like material known as a “gall” being used to house the hatched larvae.

These galls can be seen as large clusters on oak leaves and remain active as long as the eggs’ larvae provide food.

A significant number of these mites hatch in a short period of time, outnumbering insect eggs in the trees.

As a result, they are able to feed off the oak tree’s sap and cause the leaves to itch.

Can Oak Mites Get in Your House?

The oak tree mites are parasitic, which means they can attach themselves to you and your belongings, making their way inside your house.

Floating freely in the air is also possible since they are so light.

When an infestation is closed, you may anticipate them entering your home through the doors and windows.

The mites can also attach themselves to your clothing or body, allowing you to bring them back with you when you leave the area.

You may want to keep an eye out for gall clusters or flying midges in the neighboring trees.

If you think that there is an oak tree mite infestation near your home, it is best to take some precautions and get rid of them as soon as possible.

Oak mites are very hard to get rid of since they can survive for months without a host, which means that you will need to be diligent and follow through with the treatment until they have been eliminated completely from your home and surroundings.

How to Treat Oak Mite Bites

You can get rid of oak mites naturally by using antihistamines and anti-itch lotions.

If you get an infection, you need to see a doctor right away.

However, it is possible that using these lotions can speed up your recovery time to as little as 70 hours.

If you are unfortunate enough to be bitten by oak mites, you should be aware that it typically takes around a week for the body to recover.

Also Read: How To Get Rid Of Soil Mites Naturally

How to Get Rid of Oak Mites Naturally

You can get rid of oak mites naturally by using essential oils.

You can also remove oak tree galls and avoid midges from depositing eggs on the trees that they like, which will reduce the population of larvae in your trees.

To kill midges, using apple cider vinegar reduces the amount of larvae in your trees.

The best way to get rid of oak mites is by using a combination of these methods. By following these tips, you can keep your home and garden free from this pesky pest!

Use Dish Soap and Apple Cider Vinegar

The amount of oak mites on your oak trees can be reduced using this time-consuming but efficient procedure.

Remove Oak Tree Galls By Hand

You can also remove oak tree galls and avoid midges from depositing eggs on the trees that they like, which will reduce the population of larvae in your trees.

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar may be used to kill midges and reduces the amount of larvae in your trees.

Using a combination of these methods is the best way to get rid of oak mites. By following these tips, you can keep your home and garden free from this pesky pest!

Conclusion

Oak mites can be a nuisance when they invade your yard.

If you have oak trees in your backyard, it’s important to take steps to prevent an infestation from happening or know how to get rid of them if one does happen.

You may want to avoid the use of pesticides and opt for natural methods instead so that you don’t harm other animals that might come into contact with the toxic chemicals.