Imagine brushing against a patch of grass and ending up covered in hundreds of tiny ticks.
It's a phenomenon known as a "larval bomb," and residents in western Pennsylvania are encountering them this fall.
One species behind these clusters is the invasive Asian longhorned tick, which has a pretty unsettling ability: females can reproduce without mating, laying up to 2,000 eggs at a time.
When those eggs hatch, hundreds or even thousands of tiny larvae can cluster together on vegetation, waiting for a host to pass by.
While Asian longhorned ticks have not been shown to transmit Lyme disease in the U.S., researchers continue to monitor them for other pathogens. Their ability to multiply rapidly and heavily infest animals has also raised concerns, particularly for livestock.
Because these larvae are so tiny, people may not even realize they've encountered them until they spot the tiny hitchhikers on their clothing, skin, or pets.
Have you or your pets ever encountered a cluster of tiny "seed ticks" outdoors?
Read the full story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette below.
