Invasive Tick Persists in New Jersey

In February, Entomology Today shared a report from the Journal of Medical Entomology detailing the first-ever appearance of the tick species Haemaphysalis longicornis within North American borders. The tick, native to Asia, was found when an infestation was reported in summer 2017 on a rural property in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.

By November, researchers and public health officials at the Hunterdon County Division of Health, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, and the Tick-Borne Disease Laboratory at Rutgers University were able to tamp down the infestation, but they noted they couldn’t be sure if the H. longicornis had been eradicated until the spring, when any remaining overwintering ticks would emerge.

Last Friday, the news came: Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks had indeed overwintered and were found on the property once again in mid-April. The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJDFW) announced that ticks collected from the property this month were confirmed to be Haemaphysalis longicornis by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory.