A species of tick that could spread diseases to people, pets and livestock was recently identified for the first time in Michigan.

Calvin University research students in May discovered Asian longhorned ticks during a routine tick surveillance sweep of Grand Mere State Park in Berrien County.

They weren’t looking for it. Instead, the students were dragging a sheet along the park’s hiking trails as part of a long-term effort to understand why blacklegged ticks — a common species in Michigan also known as deer ticks that are a vector for Lyme disease — are more abundant in some pockets than other nearby areas.

“It was certainly an odd find,” said William Miller, an assistant biology professor at Calvin University who is leading the tick surveillance project. “Once we had an idea of what we were working with, a whole bunch of response planning fell into place and it took off. It was an unexpected discovery.”

The discovery came at the start of Michigan’s tick season. Ticks are most active in summer, the same time people also flock to the woods and prairies where the creatures live.

To stay safe from tick bites, Miller recommended wearing long pants tucked into socks while out in nature, using repellants such as DEET or permethrin, showering and checking for ticks soon after returning home from the woods.

He does not recommend freaking out.

“We should be tick-aware, but I think it’s important that we are hesitant to be tick-afraid,” he said. “These are things that are common and going to be common critters in the landscape around us. By being tick-aware and understanding our risk, we can make appropriate decisions on how best to protect ourselves in those scenarios.”

If you do find a tick attached to your body during a tick check, remove it promptly, Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive said in a press release. “Monitor your health and, if you experience fever, rash, muscle or joint aches or other symptoms, or if you suspect a tick has been attached for more than 24 hours, consult with your medical provider.”

Michigan tick population increasing

Asian longhorned ticks join a crowded field. Michigan is home to 20 known tick species; American dog ticks and blacklegged ticks are two of the most common.

They all appear to be increasing in number, said Jean Tsao, a disease ecologist and Michigan State University professor.

There likely are a few reasons for that, she said.

Ticks hitchhike on animals such as deer and birds and can travel long distances while latched to those hosts. A lot of species, particularly blacklegged ticks and lone star ticks, love to feed on deer. The southern Michigan deer herd is booming.

“With the buildout of neighborhoods, suburban areas and exurban areas, we’ve created more habitat for white tailed deer and brought them closer to us, too,” Tsao said. “That has helped spread the blacklegged tick.”

The warming climate may be extending the amount of time ticks are active and able to find animals to feed on, which increases their chances of survival.

Asian longhorned ticks aren’t the only newcomer.

A population of another tick species, the lone star tick, was discovered in west Michigan in 2020, Tsao said. The ticks are found in low numbers elsewhere in Michigan, but they are concentrated in the southwest Lower Peninsula, she said.

“They will definitely find hosts and spread,” she said. “We’re just waiting for them.”

Lone star ticks are aggressive. They can carry diseases such as Rocky mountain spotted fever and Alpha-gal syndrome, which makes people allergic to red meat.

New tick poses problem for cattle

Asian longhorned ticks, the kind Calvin University students found this year, are brown and small, roughly the size of a sesame seed in some stages. When an adult female is full of blood, she can grow to the size of a pea.

The ticks are native to east Asia. They have been spreading through the U.S. since 2017, when they were discovered in New Jersey. They are in 21 other states, including Indiana and Ohio, Miller said.

Asian longhorned ticks are considered “a fairly low-risk species for humans,” Miller said. In laboratory settings, the ticks have been shown to be capable of carrying germs that affect humans, but Miller said scientists don’t know of any cases of actual disease caused by the ticks in the U.S.

“We’re not necessarily their preferred host,” he said. “They don’t bite (humans) at very high rates.”

Cattle are a different story. Asian longhorned ticks are primarily an agricultural pest. They can latch to various species of animals, such as sheep, dogs, horses, chickens and wildlife, but are specifically a problem for cattle, MDARD said.

That’s why state agricultural officials were the ones to announce the discovery of Asian longhorn tick in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in June encouraged farmers to treat their animals for ticks and to perform tick checks.

“By knowing this species of tick is in our state, we will increase our educational outreach to producers, animal owners, and animal health professionals so we can all do our part to safeguard animal and public health,” State Veterinarian Nora Wineland said in a news release.

Female ticks can reproduce without mating and lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time. A lot of ticks on one animal can kill it or stunt its growth.

Asian longhorned ticks also can carry a parasite that causes bovine theileriosis, which makes cattle weak and lethargic, makes them lose their appetite, decreases milk production and can cause cows to lose their calves.

To reduce the number of ticks around their homes, MDARD recommended Michiganians take the following steps:

Cut back tall grasses and brush.

Create a 3-foot barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas.

Keep lawns mowed and clear of leaf litter.

Stack firewood neatly to deter rodents, which commonly host ticks.

Place play equipment, patios and decks in dry, sunny areas away from forest edges, shrubs and fall grasses.