1 Tick
Up to 2000 eggs
Because one female can produce thousands of offspring without a male (they can reproduce parthenogenetically) only one tick is needed to create a population in a new area.
2017
First Seen in the U.S.
Initially found on sheep in New Jersey.
Longhorned Tick
Scientific Name: Haemaphysalis longicornis
Also known as: ALT • Asian Longhorned Tick
Pest Categories: Invasive • Livestock • Pets • Human Health
The longhorned tick is an invasive tick that primarily impacts livestock health but may also spread pathogens that affect human health. Though they don’t usually bite humans, they do have the potential to amplify tick-borne diseases by spreading pathogens to other ticks that more commonly pose threats to humans.
What do longhorned ticks look like?
Adult Female
Nymph
Larva
The longhorned tick is an invasive tick that primarily impacts livestock health but may also spread pathogens that affect human health. Though they don’t usually bite humans, they do have the potential to amplify tick-borne diseases by spreading pathogens to other ticks that more commonly pose threats to humans.
Where are longhorned ticks found?
Geographic Locations
Because one female can produce thousands of offspring without a male (they can reproduce parthenogenetically) only one tick is needed to create a population in a new area. Longhorned ticks are not picky eaters. They choose wide-ranging hosts including livestock and transient wildlife such as deer and birds.
Longhorned ticks are native to East Asia but considered invasive in the U.S. They were initially found on sheep in New Jersey in 2017 and are now found in many areas in the eastern U.S. and are spreading to new parts of New York State.
Hosts and Habitats
Longhorned ticks prefer pastures and meadows. They feed on many hosts but prefer cattle. Large numbers of ticks infest one host at one time which weakens the animal and can impact milk production. In extreme cases, longhorned tick infestations can result in the death of the host animal.
Pathogens
The most common diseases carried by longhorned ticks are bovine theileriosis and babesiosis, which can impact a wide range of domestic animal species. While not widespread in the U.S. at this time, we continue to monitor the potential spread of these diseases.
IPM for Longhorned Tick
Protecting Your Livestock
- Check your livestock for ticks regularly
- Consult your vet about tick treatments for your animals
- Report any large infestations or unusual-looking ticks to NYSIPM by jkz6 [at] cornell.edu (subject: Report%20about%20suspected%20Asian%20Longhorned%20tick) (emailing Joellen Lampman).
- Keeping grass, weeds and brush cleared on feedlots may help but because longhorned ticks are new to our environment, management techniques that work elsewhere need to be fully tested.
Protecting Yourself
Standard tick prevention measures apply to longhorned ticks.
Protecting your Pets
Standard tick prevention measures for your pets apply to longhorned ticks.
- Check your pets for ticks regularly
- Consult your vet about tick treatments for your animals
- National Haemaphysalis longicornis (Asian longhorned tick) Situation Report (pdf)—March 7, 2024
- This situation report is updated frequently by APHIS. Check the USDA APHIS Asian Longhorned Ticks page to make sure you are getting the latest version.
- Intruder Alert: Longhorned Tick - What You Need to Know about the Invasive Tick Haemaphysalis longicornis
- Longhorned Tick: Information for Livestock and Pet Owners
- Tick Identification Services in the Northeast US
- National Pest Alert: Asian Longhorned Tick
Extension Support Specialist
NYS Integrated Pest Management
- (518) 441-1303
- jkz6 [at] cornell.edu