A New Tick Is Moving In on Long Island — And Changing the Landscape for Lyme Disease

Jul 20, 2026

2 min

There's a new tick establishing itself across the region, and it's not the one most people are used to watching for. The Asian longhorned tick, first detected in the U.S. in 2017, has been steadily expanding its range along the East Coast — including into the backyards, parks, and preserves of Long Island. Unlike the blacklegged tick most associated with Lyme disease, this invasive species reproduces asexually, meaning a single tick can start an entire population, and it's showing up in numbers that are hard to ignore.

Russell Burke, professor of biology at Hofstra University, has spent more than a decade studying the ecology of Lyme disease on a continental scale — including how tick host diversity affects disease risk across the eastern U.S. That work has now expanded to track a newer arrival: the Asian longhorned tick, and how its invasion and spread is reshaping the tick communities long dominated by the blacklegged tick, the primary vector of Lyme disease.

What he can speak to:

How the Asian longhorned tick got to the U.S., and why its ability to reproduce without mating makes it uniquely fast at colonizing new areas
What the tick's expansion means for the local ecology of ticks on Long Island, and how it may be competing with or displacing established blacklegged tick populations
Why the Asian longhorned tick is not currently considered a significant carrier of Lyme disease itself, but why its presence still raises concerns for public health and agriculture
What residents, hikers, and pet owners should know about identifying and avoiding exposure to this new tick species
The broader pattern of invasive species establishing themselves on Long Island, and what that signals about changing ecosystems

Connect with:

Russell Burke

Professor of Biology

Dr. Burke's current research involves diamondback terrapins at Jamaica Bay, wood turtles in northern NJ, ticks and Lyme disease, and the coyote invasion of Long Island.

Key Topics: Ecology · Conservation Biology · Herpetology · Urban Ecosystems

Reach Professor Burke through the Contact button on his profile below.

Connect with:

Russell Burke

Professor of Biology

Dr. Burke's current research involves diamondback terrapins at Jamaica Bay, wood turtles in northern NJ and the coyote invasion of LI

Urban EcosystemsUrban EnvironmentsSuburban Spaces and DevelopmentEcologyEvolution

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