54 Nebraskaland • August-September 2022
MIXED BAG
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture is working to
better determine which tick species are present in Nebraska.
NDA field staff are partnering with USDA Veterinary
Services to provide outreach to veterinarians and identify
ticks submitted by veterinarians, collected from pets and
livestock.
NDA staff also conducts surveys by "dragging" for ticks.
A large white sheet is dragged across vegetation in preferred
tick habitat, and any ticks found on the cloth are identified.
Survey data assists the public, livestock producers and
health professionals by providing a more complete picture of
the distribution of tick species in the state.
Several tick species are known to be established in
Nebraska, including American dog tick, winter tick, brown
dog tick, and lone star tick. The deer, or black-legged
tick, has been confirmed in Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders and
Thurston counties in eastern Nebraska.
The invasive Asian longhorned tick is also on NDA's
radar. This tick, native to parts of Asia, was discovered in the
United States in New Jersey in 2017, infesting sheep. Since
that time, infestations have been confirmed in at least 16
additional states, including Missouri, but the tick has not yet
been found in Nebraska. This tick can infest pets, livestock
and humans, and may carry a number of serious diseases.
Asian longhorned ticks are light brown and very small.
Nymphs are only about the size of a poppy seed. An adult
female may be ¼ inch in length when fully engorged. Female
ticks can reproduce without a male, and in fact, males have
not yet been found in the U.S. This tick has a tendency to
feed in large masses, which can cause additional stress to
animals and even death.
In addition to disease transmission, tick feeding can result
in tissue damage to livestock and wildlife hosts, blood loss,
weight loss, and overall health decline or even death.
Report tick stress on pets or livestock to your veterinarian,
and submit tick specimens when possible. Consult your
doctor if you experience a fever, rash, chills or joint/muscle
pain after you've had a tick bite.
TICKS IN NEBRASKA
By Julie Van Meter, State Entomologist
Nebraska Department of Agriculture
Asian Longhorn Tick with
penny for size comparison.
ERIC R. DAY, VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
AND STATE UNIVERSITY, BUGWOOD.ORG
