A tiny parasite from East Asia just made Michigan its next stop—and it brought a reputation for multiplying fast and draining cattle.
The Asian longhorned tick.
The Asian longhorned tick, an invasive species that has been inching westward since arriving in New Jersey in 2017, was confirmed this month in Berrien County. Two nymphs were collected by Calvin University students at Grand Mere State Park and verified by federal labs on June 11, according to a news release from The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.
It marks the tick’s first confirmed appearance in Michigan—and its arrival has prompted as much political reaction online as public health response on the ground.
“Probably brought here by some Chinese student,” one user posted on X. “Panic!! Close the schools! Mask up! Shelter in place! Give Big Gretch emergency powers!” another wrote.
Cattle and livestock are at risk.
The tick’s formal name—the Asian longhorned tick—is not helping. Nor is its biology: unlike other ticks, the female doesn’t need a mate and can lay up to 2,000 eggs, leading to large infestations that can stress or even kill farm animals through blood loss. It poses the greatest risk to cattle and other livestock.
