A New Type Of Tick Is Thriving In New Jersey

Be prepared to be disgusted.

According to reports, a new type of tick that has never been seen in New Jersey before, is now making the Garden State its year-round home.

Here's where things get gross:

According to a story on NJ.com, last summer a Hunterdon County farmer showed up to the local county health office, ready for it? "Covered in thousands of the ticks".

Yes, thousands. 

While finding just one tick on myself gives me the willies, the idea of being covered in ticks is pretty much one of the most horrific things that I could imagine.

What makes this story even more unsettling (yes, it gets even more unsettling) is the fact that these particular ticks, the "Longhorned tick" have never been spotted in New Jersey before and, according to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory, survived the winter and are reemerging now that temperatures are rising.

I'll spare you the gory details on their reported "swarming" and "cloning" behavior. But if you really want to give yourself nightmares, go ahead and click here for the full NJ.com article.

In all seriousness though, officials are asking that if you spot ticks that seem unusual to you, reach out to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Wildlife Management at 609-984-6295 or the Office of Fish and Wildlife Health and Forensics at 908-637-4173, ext. 120.

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