Onion Creek Ranch, Lohn, Texas Suzanne W. Gasparotto 300 Happy Ridge
Lohn, Texas
Onion Creek Ranch "Chevon, cabrito, goat... No matter what you call it, it is the HEALTHY red meat™
Onion Creek Ranch

Home PageEmail UsSALE BARNPresent and FutureGoatCamp™Myotonic GoatsTennessee Meat Goats™TexMaster™ Goats
Which breed is right for you?Health & Management ArticlesChevonTalk Discussion GroupLinksRegistrationMeat Goat Mania

BACK TO

Visit us on FaceBook
for current news

ASIAN   LONGHORNED  TICKS

A new invasive species of tick is spreading rapidly across the USA.   First identified on  sheep in New Jersey in 2017, they've since spread across 19 states primarily in the eastern part of this country.

Haemaphysalis longicornis (Asian longhorned tick) have a unique reproductive method  that makes them hard to control.   They reproduce asexually using a biological process called parthenogenesis.    Each female has the ability to lay 2,000 fertile eggs without having to mate with a male, resulting in thousands of Asian longhorned ticks in a short timeframe.

Thousands of ticks can quickly kill animals by sucking the blood out of them.  In  Ohio on 2021,  a cattle raiser reported the death of three cows from blood loss caused by  massive numbers of ticks.

The  threat posed by  Asian longhorned ticks arises from their very fast reproductive rate.  This means that livestock raisers need to target tick prevention treatment  early in the season before the eggs hatch.   Tick season is April through October, with August usually being peak tick activity in most areas.  These ectoparasites (parasites living on the body of an animal) are more effectively controlled through prevention than treatment when the ticks are already on the animals.

Check your animals regularly for ticks.  Avoid overgrown pasture.  Use anti-tick products (acaricides) that focus on prevention by using permethrin-based repellants.

Methods effective in keeping ticks off humans involve  using gaiters on ankles and legs, keeping pants inside boots and shirts inside pants, and tumbling clothes inside dryers on high heat for 10 minutes.

So far the Asian longhorned tick does not appear to have  developed any resistance to topical tick-prevention  products.  Its main threat is its ability to overwhelm animals   via its extremely rapid reproductive process, allowing  the ticks to suck blood and kill quickly.

For more information on this tick, see Margaret Osborne's November 27, 2023 article in The Smithsonian Magazine.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto, ONION CREEK RANCH, Texas   5.1.24

Meat Goat Mania
BACK TO ARTICLES INDEX
m1

Home PageEmail UsSALE BARNPresent and FutureGoatCamp™Myotonic GoatsTennessee Meat Goats™TexMaster™ Goats
Which breed is right for you?Health & Management ArticlesChevonTalk Discussion GroupLinksRegistrationMeat Goat Mania

Important! Please Read This Notice!

All information provided in these articles is based either on personal experience or information provided by others whose treatments and practices have been discussed fully with a vet for accuracy and effectiveness before passing them on to readers.

In all cases, it is your responsibility to obtain veterinary services and advice before using any of the information provided in these articles. Suzanne Gasparotto is not a veterinarian.Neither tennesseemeatgoats.com nor any of the contributors to this website will be held responsible for the use of any information contained herein.

The author, Suzanne Gasparotto, hereby grants to local goat publications and club newsletters, permission to reprint articles published on the Onion Creek Ranch website under these conditions: THE ARTICLE MUST BE REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE AUTHOR'S NAME, ADDRESS, AND CONTACT INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REPRINT. We would appreciate notification from any clubs or publications when the articles are used. (A copy of the newsletter or publication would also be a welcome addition to our growing library of goat related information!)

Onion Creek Ranch
Shop for the Best Discounted Pet, Equine, & Livestock Supplies!

All information and photos copyright © Onion Creek Ranch and may not be used without express written permission of Onion Creek Ranch. TENNESSEE MEAT GOAT ™ and TEXMASTER™ are Trademarks of Onion Creek Ranch . All artwork and graphics © DTP, Ink and Onion Creek Ranch.