New Jersey is Home to Eleven Species of Ticks

Rutgers University has released a report detailing on the ticks found in our state. According to the scientists, there are eleven separate types of ticks in New Jersey, including two that are not native to our state.

The invasive species are the Asian longhorned tick and the brown dog tick. The longhorned tick is known to transmit disease to livestock and, according to the CDC it can have adverse effects on humans while the brown dog tick mainly afflicts, you guessed it, dogs. The CDC released a commentary on the study, pointing out that the Asian longhorned tick can reproduce at the rate of 1,000-2,000 at a time without mating, meaning an animal or a person could house hundreds or thousands of ticks at a time on their body (pause for shudder).

Five additional ticks have been reported in the Garden State, but no specimens have been collected. The study was published in the Journal of Medical Entomology and calls for more accurate assessment of the pathogens ticks carry and the threats they pose to the health of both humans and animals so a closer surveillance program is recommended.