Invasive Tick With Deadly Potential Confirmed in Michigan

While it may seem like a big fuss over a tiny insect, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has announced that the Asian Longhorned Tick (ALHT) has been found in Michigan, and it's a major concern. Even though the ALHT isn't known to carry Lyme Disease, it does have the potential to spread others, including one that will cause your brain to swell, which, for the record, isn't a good thing.

RELATED: How to Safely Remove Michigan's Ticks

Where Was the Tick Found in Michigan?

The first Asian Longhorned Ticks found in Michigan were in Berrien County's Grand Mere State Park (near Stevensville, Michigan), during a routine tick audit. Two ALHT nymphs, the juvenile phase of the insect, were found and sent off to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratories. They were both confirmed as the invasive Asian Longhorned Tick on June 11, 2025.

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Though this is the first sighting of the ALHT in Michigan, it isn't new to the United States. Natives of East Asia, they were first detected in New Jersey in 2017. The tiny bugs then began working their way into other states, 21 in total, with Ohio and Indiana also adding them to their census.

What Is the Asian Longhorned Tick?

MDARD says these light brown ticks are often mistaken for other tick species, though, to me, a tick is a tick and deserves a wide berth. Adult female ALHTs can grow to the size of a pea, while the younger stages are tiny, about the size of a sesame seed or even smaller.

How Dangerous Is This Tick to Humans and Animals?

These tiny bloodsuckers have been found on everything from humans to sheep, goats, dogs, cats, and even chickens. MyVetCandy reports that Asian Longhorn Ticks have been known to spread diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Heartland virus, Powassan virus (which causes swelling of the brain), and Theileria orientalis, which can be deadly in cattle, and is a mandatory reportable animal disease in Michigan.

RELATED: Lyme Disease: Revealing Michigan's Risk For Tick-Borne Illnesses

If you're not already itching and checking yourself for ticks, here's a fun fact: Female ALHTs can reproduce on their own, laying up to 2,000 eggs. The scarier part? They'll lay all these eggs on one animal, running the risk of not only contracting a disease, but literally dying from blood loss.

Preventing Tick Infestations on Farms and Pets

Michigan Farm News advises farmers and animal owners to check their pets and livestock at least once a week for ticks, work with their veterinarian on prevention measures, treat pastures and lawns, and be sure to keep grass trimmed while clearing any brush and leaf litter. For more information on tickborne illnesses, visit the Emerging Disease website.