The Asian Longhorned Tick

Once I Met a Little Creature

Once I met a little creature

It was not much to behold

But once I informed myself,

I’m thankful I had decided to go.

It was light brown

This made it hard to see

Especially because of one thing

It was the size of a sesame seed.

I then decided to leave

Then out of boredom

I investigated what I had seen.

The little fellow that I encountered

Was native to East Asia

That was weird, I was in the U.S.

The name of this little creature

Was the Asian Longhorned Tick

Found in New Jersey in 2017

Virginia came next in 2018.

This tick had probably entered the U.S.

By hitching a ride on a sheep

I found this rather funny but then I read

It can also create more than 1000 offspring.

This gave me chills

This tick can infect by the thousands

Like fruit flies to rotten fruit

And after a blood meal, can lay eggs to the hundreds.

The Asian Longhorned Tick

Is a vicious and villainous vampire

It can suck enough blood from a young animal

That it would die in the blink of an eye.

This tick carries a virus

A virus that kills 15 percent of its victims

That is not something to be desirous.

Millions are exposed

That is assured

It can survive without food for 200 days

That is bad, I am sure.

Once I met a little creature

It was not much to behold

But I then was assured

That I was lucky to go.

Jeshua Puente

Mr. Skipper

Encounters 8

February 16, 2024

The Asian Longhorned Tick:

An Invasion Like No Other

Introduction

All around the world, various species have been constantly traveling between countries and continents in many different ways. These species have traveled by car, by plane, and even by ship. Some species don’t pose any danger to the ecosystem or humans, but a few animals, sometimes referred to as invasive species, can harm native species, the ecosystem, and even humans in unimaginable ways. One invasive species is known as the Asian longhorned tick. The Asian long-horned tick is, as the name suggests, a species native to different areas in Asia. Throughout time, this species has been introduced to various states of the U.S. Even though the Asian long-horned tick is significantly small, its effects on the ecosystem, environment, and humans can be greatly devastating. People should work together to quickly prevent the spread of this species because of all the harm that it can create to humans and livestock.

Taxonomy and Description

The Asian long-horned tick is a species with various unique characteristics. Some of these characteristics may create a challenge when trying to identify it, which can hinder the possibility of stopping its spread. For example, most “Asian longhorned ticks are light brown in color” and are “often smaller than a sesame seed” (The Asian Longhorned Tick). Their relative size and color therefore may offer various difficulties when trying to find it. Another important trait of this tick is its ability to reproduce quickly. Since “a single female Asian long-horned tick can produce offspring-1,000 to 2,000 at a time without mating,” they can quickly spread in an area and affect more livestock and people (The Asian Longhorned Tick). Another trait that supports this idea is that according to “An Invasive New Tick is Spreading in the U.S.," “after a blood meal, females can lay hundreds of fertile eggs without mating.” This means that the Asian long-horned tick can quickly spread in an area and affect animals and people. One last characteristic that makes the Asian long-horned tick stand out from other species is that even “without suitable hosts, tick larvae can survive on the ground and vegetation unfed for 217 days, nymphs for 263 days, and adult females for 249 days” (The Exotic Asian Longhorned Tick). All these characteristics may prove to be an obstacle when stopping the Asian long-horned tick. Even though it is impossible to eliminate this species, it may be possible to stop its spread to protect others.

Introduction to Non-Native Habitat

The Asian long-horned tick is considered an invasive species because it is not native to the United States. Since it is not native, it does not have any natural predators, giving it the ability to spread rapidly. Even though its introduction to the country is certainly a huge problem, it entered the U. S. in similar ways to other animals. First of all, the Asian long-horned tick is “native to East Asia,” but currently it is “quickly moving through the eastern part of the country [United States]” (Root). This suggests that it may have been introduced by a ship or plane. The presence of the Asian longhorned tick was confirmed in the year 2017 but it was possibly introduced in the year 2010 (The Asian Longhorned Tick: What You Need to Know and What You Can Do). This fact presents lots of theories and ideas. If the Asian longhorned tick was introduced in 2010, but was confirmed to exist seven years later, it means that a very low quantity of this species arrived in the first place. The Asian long-horned tick could have been in the United States since 2010 but was first identified in New Jersey in 2017 and then found in Virginia in 2018 (The Exotic Asian Longhorned Tick: The New Tick in Town). Both of these states are in the eastern part of the U.S. but aren’t exactly beside each other. They are separated by a few states so the Asian longhorned tick could have either been introduced to the United States by multiple ships or it could have spread quickly to Virginia in only that short amount of time. One thing that makes the Asian long-horned tick unique to other invasive species is that “the tick was first documented when it arrived in the United States by hitching a ride on a sheep” (The Exotic Asian Longhorned Tick: The New Tick in Town). Most invasive species are just introduced by vehicles but this species was introduced by sticking itself to an animal. Currently, the Asian longhorned tick has been sighted in Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia all of these being eastern states proving that it was probably introduced by foreign ships (McNeil). Overall, the introduction of the Asian longhorned tick is very similar to the one of other species which may provide vital information to stop it.

Adverse Effects

Invasive species bring constant disorder to ecosystems all over the world with their various adverse effects. The Asian long-horned tick is not an exclusion from this natural phenomenon. This species possesses a few characteristics that allow it to create a negative effect on ecosystems, animals, and humans. These effects are devastating which is why it is important to bring awareness to this animal. First and foremost, the Asian long-horned tick is a species that is capable of causing damage to cattle quickly. According to the article “The Exotic Asian Longhorned Tick: The New Tick in Town,” “though it’s a three-host tick, all three life stages are sometimes found at the same time, even on the same animal”, therefore, “the ticks can infect an animal by the thousands.” This effect of the rapid reproduction of the Asian longhorned tick is a clear threat to the health of cattle but this is just the beginning. Because of its rapid reproduction, the Asian long-horned tick “can multiply rapidly and suck so much blood from a young animal that it dies” (McNeil). Death is not the only adverse effect of this species. The Asian long-horned tick can affect cattle in various other ways that are just as worrying. This animal can make a cow’s “milk production drop by as much as twenty-five percent after becoming a host.” This is worrying because “millions of animals across the country could conceivably be exposed” to this species (Root). One more of the many adverse effects of the Asian long-horned tick is that it “carries a virus that kills 15 percent of its victims” in Asia (McNeil). This disease is known as “theileria, specifically Theileria orientalis Ikeda” (The Exotic Asian Longhorned Tick: The New Tick in Town). The overall idea is that the Asian longhorned tick is capable of causing massive damage which is why it is important to try to find a way to at least stop the spread of this chaotic species.

Conclusion

It has been assured many times that the Asian long-horned tick is a dangerous species for people and animals. Currently, more needs to be done at a great scale about this situation. This may be because theoretically, it is impossible to eradicate the Asian longhorned tick due to its quick reproduction. Thankfully, scientists have studied this animal and have offered a few simple solutions to protect people and animals. One of these simple solutions is to keep the grass short around the area of a house or animals. This is effective because it eliminates the possibility of ticks hiding in taller and more dense grass. A few other solutions include drying clothes at high temperatures for a few minutes. This is effective against any ticks that may have attached themselves to people’s clothes. It is also important to do tick checks and wear repellent outside to ensure the security and health of people. There are a few other quick solutions to this problem, but as scientists keep researching, they will eventually find a better way to stop this problem. Even if scientists find a huge solution, it can only go into effect if everybody else cooperates. The cooperation from everybody is necessary to stop this species once and for all.

Works Cited

“The Asian Longhorned Tick: What You Need to Know and What You Can Do.” USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/maps/animal-health/asian-longhorned-tick.

“The Exotic Asian Longhorned Tick: The New Tick in Town.” AmerisourceBergen, 5 Dec 2022, www.mwiah.com/our-insights/the-Exotic-asian-longhorned-tick---the-new-tick-in-town.

McNeil, Donald G Jr. “An Invasive New Tick is Spreading in the U.S.” The New York Times, 6 Aug 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/08/06/health/asian-long-horned-tick.html.

Root, Tik. “New Exotic tick spreading through eastern U.S.” National Geographic, 13 Dec 2018, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/new-invasive-tick-spreading-through-united-states.