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Mighty mites cause problems

Garfield County colored red
KWGS News Map
Garfield County colored red

By Associated Press

Drummond, OK – Mighty mites cause problems

DRUMMOND, Okla. (AP) When the Garfield County Sheriff's office started receiving calls about millions of ants crossing the intersection of Oklahoma 132 and a county road, deputy Troy Bush thought it was joke.

Bush says when he arrived on Monday, there were so many insects that it appeared as if the ground were moving and the tiny critters had created a slick, hazardous area on the pavement stretching a quarter-mile long.

Eventually authorities learned the bugs weren't ants, but were mites.

Apparently the mites were crossing the road that day after having dinner in a field of canola plants that had just been harvested. Bush says the slick spot was created by the mites feasting on the plants, which are used to produce canola oil.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation crews lightly sanded the slick portion of the road.