Hiker stopped at his tent flap in New York's Catskills and found 20 lone star ticks at 3,000 feet

When avid hiker Keith Hendricks went to unzip his tent during a camping trip in New York's Catskills, he said he found about 20 lone star ticks outside the tent flap, the Times Union reported.

But the location of these ticks stood out to Hendricks as much as the number. Because he was staying near a hiking trail in Windham, at roughly 3,000 feet, he believed the higher elevation and northern latitude would've resulted in fewer tick sightings.

What happened?

Lone star ticks are more commonly associated with the South, but are being found increasingly in New York, including in the Hudson Valley and Catskills, according to the Times Union.

Hendricks, whom the newspaper described as such an avid hiker that he has had Lyme disease eight times, recognized the lone star ticks by the white markings on their backs.

Among the species that have moved into New York over the past few decades are the lone star tick and the Asian longhorned tick. Unlike deer ticks, Asian longhorned ticks can reproduce without mating and lay up to 2,000 eggs.

For livestock owners, heavy infestations of Asian longhorned ticks are a major concern. According to the Times Union, state agriculture officials have warned that for farm animals, severe tick loads can cause serious blood loss, anemia, and, in the worst cases, death.

Why is this concerning?

A newer danger linked to lone star ticks is alpha-gal syndrome. 

The CDC has described it as "a serious, potentially life-threatening allergy to alpha-gal that can develop after a tick bite."

It also noted that "people with AGS can have an allergic reaction after eating red meat or being exposed to products containing alpha-gal," and "the best way to protect yourself and your family from AGS is to prevent tick bites."

Alvaro Acosta Serrano, a biology professor studying the condition, told the Times Union that a conservative estimate puts the number of Americans with it at nearly 500,000, making it far more common than many people believe.

Warmer temperatures tied to an overheating planet have unfortunately helped drive both tick species farther north.

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