(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s bumper crop of buzzing cicadas this year may lead to a population boom in another, much-smaller insect known as the oak leaf itch mite. St. Louis-area entomologist Tad Yankoski says the mites are tiny, but there are many, many millions of them emerging in Missouri, and Iowa could be next.

Unlike mosquitoes, these weensy mites don’t seek people out, but he says if they find you, you’ll know it.

Those mite bites can leave annoying welts that might persist for days or even weeks.

Cicadas (Photo by Ginny Mitchell at Iowa State University’s Insect Zoo)

Cicadas can grow one to two inches in length, and they’re insect giants compared to these mites.

Iowa saw emergence’s of both the 13- and 17-year cicada broods this spring, with large populations in both northeast and southeast Iowa.