Asian Longhorned Tick Facts & Information

What You Can Do

Asian longhorned ticks are found in shaded locations where trees and short, woody brush plants are located. Also, longhorned tick adults may be found in open, sunny locations like well-maintained lawns around homes. If you find a tick on your clothing, embedded in your skin or on a pet, collect the ticks and send them to your local or State health department or University Extension Center for accurate identification. Remember, accurate identification of ticks is extremely important in combating infestations.

In order to avoid Asian longhorned tick problems, carefully inspect pets, yourself and other family members after being outside and don’t forget to keep your lawn well maintained. Wearing long pants, high top socks, boots, and long-sleeved shirts as well as using tick repellent can also help with prevention.

What Orkin Does

Your local Orkin Pro is trained to help manage ticks and other pests. Since every building or home is different, your Orkin Pro will design a unique tick treatment program for your situation. Orkin can provide the right solutions to keep ticks in their place, out of your home and away from the premises.

Appearance

Asian longhorned tick adults look much like most other ticks found around homes and in wooded habitats. These ticks have four life stages – egg, larva, nymph and adult. Adult stage Asian longhorned ticks have eight (8) legs, a body and a distinct head that houses its blood-feeding mouthparts.

Risks & Diseases

These ticks are unlike most other tick species since adult females can produce viable eggs without mating with a male tick. Also, Asian longhorned ticks can produce 1,000 to 2,000 eggs at a time. That means a person or animal could be the host to hundreds or perhaps thousands of ticks.

In other parts of the world where this tick is found, they can transmit many pathogens that cause diseases to animals and people. Therefore, Asian longhorned ticks likely pose a high potential of transmitting diseases in the U.S. as well.

More Information

Haemaphysalis longicornis, is commonly called the Asian longhorned tick or the bush tick. Asian longhorned ticks are an invasive species that was likely introduced into the U.S. from Japan, China, Korea, Australia or New Zealand. The first known report of this tick in the U.S. was found on a sheep in New Jersey.

Since that discovery these ticks have rapidly expanded and have been found in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. Sampling done by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, plus State and University tick experts, have reported these ticks seek out and feed on domestic animals, wildlife and humans.