Asian Longhorned ticks have been detected in Berrien County, the first time the pests have been found in Michigan.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced the discovery Friday, after a research team at Calvin University discovered two specimens at Grand Mere State Park near Stevensville.
William Miller is an assistant professor of biology at Calvin.
He said the invasive pests can pose a significant danger to livestock.
“This is a major agricultural pest, particularly for cattle. Longhorn ticks can produce massive infestations of hundreds of individuals feeding on a single animal,” Miller said.
“That heavy tick burden can cause things similar to what winter ticks may do to moose up north. So, things like anemia, fatigue, weight loss, and reduced milk production and then extreme infestations, perhaps even death, particularly of calves and young animals.”
Though only two specimens were found, Miller said it doesn't take many Longhorned ticks to start an infestation.
“One of the things that makes it quite invasive is its ability to lay in a single season about 1,000 to 2,000 eggs. And perhaps most interesting, a single female can actually start a new population. They do not require males to reproduce.”
Miller added that there's a chance they caught the population early in its development. But he said his team and MDARD will remain vigilant.
"We are going to expand our surveillance efforts, continue to watch Grand Mere State Park as well as relevant habitat within the surrounding area. So hopefully, we can get a better picture of the distribution and potential risk of this species to to farms within the region."
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
