It sounds like a horror-movie plot: an invasive tick slips unnoticed into the United States. Able to reproduce without mating, it rapidly spreads throughout the country. It’s so numerous that it can literally drop livestock dead in the fields by sucking them dry of blood.
The scariest part is, it’s no movie. This is happening in real life. The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, was first recorded in the United States in New Jersey in 2017, though later research suggests that it’s probably been in the country since 2010.
From that initial entry point, the tick has spread east and south, occupying 19 states so far. Populations have been established in at least two northeast Oklahoma counties.
Uniquely among North American ticks, the Asian longhorned tick is parthenogenetic – meaning that females can lay viable eggs without mating. That aspect of its biology contributes to the species’ rapid spread and high local concentrations.
These ticks are tiny compared to many common native North American ticks. They make up for that small size with large numbers, though. Cases have occurred in which affected animals were literally bled to death due to the severity of infestation.
Recommended management practices are essentially the same as for the tick species we were already dealing with: monitor and treat cattle (and other livestock and pets) regularly, and if you run into any large infestations or unusual-looking ticks, get in touch with your local vet, health department, and/or state animal health agency.
To learn more, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service‘s (APHIS) and National Invasive Species Information Center‘s pages on the Asian longhorned tick are both good places to start.
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