Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

US Invaded By Savage Tick That Sucks Animals Dry, Spawns Without Mating (arstechnica.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the blood-sucking dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: A vicious species of tick originating from Eastern Asia has invaded the U.S. and is rapidly sweeping the Eastern Seaboard, state and federal officials warn. The tick, the Asian longhorned tick (or Haemaphysalis longicornis), has the potential to transmit an assortment of nasty diseases to humans, including an emerging virus that kills up to 30 percent of victims. So far, the tick hasn't been found carrying any diseases in the U.S. It currently poses the largest threat to livestock, pets, and wild animals; the ticks can attack en masse and drain young animals of blood so quickly that they die -- an execution method called exsanguination.

Key to the tick's explosive spread and bloody blitzes is that its invasive populations tend to reproduce asexually, that is, without mating. Females drop up to 2,000 eggs over the course of two or three weeks, quickly giving rise to a ravenous army of clones. In one U.S. population studied so far, experts encountered a massive swarm of the ticks in a single paddock, totaling well into the thousands. They speculated that the population might have a ratio of about one male to 400 females. Yesterday, August 7, Maryland became the eighth state to report the presence of the tick. It followed a similar announcement last Friday, August 3, from Pennsylvania. Other affected states include New York, Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

109 of 178 comments (clear)

  1. Goodbye Arstechnica by NewtonsLaw · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Wow, I used to trust Ars to bring me researched, objective science and technology news -- but no more.

    What a piece of sensationalist tripe this is!

    How do I know?

    Well I live in New Zealand, one of those countries which has this tick -- in fact we only have two tick species here and this is one of them.

    Neither our cattle, sheep nor people have been brought to their knees by this pest and the countryside isn't over-run with a red tide of invading creatures.

    Sorry Ars, you've just been relegated to "tabloid tech" in my book.

    Such a shame.

    Who *can* we rely on for *real* news and not this click-bait sensationalist crap?

    1. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Blame Google, they are the ones who reward it.

      We need to retake control of our content and just say no to Google.

    2. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well I live in New Zealand, one of those countries which has this tick -- in fact we only have two tick species here and this is one of them.

      Neither our cattle, sheep nor people have been brought to their knees by this pest and the countryside isn't over-run with a red tide of invading creatures.

      The tick also injects a neuro-toxic venom that makes you think all your wildlife are still OK and haven't been sucked dry.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    3. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by fibonacci8 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oddly, it also makes you think you live in New Zealand.

      --
      Inheritance is the sincerest form of nepotism.
    4. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      9 species of ticks according to https://www.smsl.co.nz/NZBEL/Ticks.html

    5. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Aighearach · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Your island is too small to have an east coast, everything is still within the ocean-moderated climate.

      These ticks seem to be much worse in a continental east coast environment.

      New Zealand is totally different, with rain evenly distributed around the year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
      The whole country is Oceanic.

    6. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by normandr · · Score: 2

      The Ars Technica article photo further suggests that these ticks can live and reproduce on US dimes.

    7. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by maglor_83 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I live in Australia. We have cane toads, rabbits etc which cause huge amounts of damage (we also have this tick). There are other countries that have cane toads, rabbits etc where they do not cause huge amounts of damage. The problem with introducing species is that they don't usually balance the same way they did in their native environments.

    8. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by jrumney · · Score: 2, Funny

      Your island is too small to have an east coast

      I know geography isn't a strong point of Americans, but this post makes me wonder how you got through 3rd grade geometry.

    9. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      They're reproducing on Eisenhower?

    10. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by OrangeTide · · Score: 2

      Maybe he means it's a Möbius strip.

      everything is still within the ocean-moderated climate.

      Sounds like paradise.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    11. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by MoaDweeb · · Score: 1

      Try the NZ Herald, they don't do sensationalist clickbait!

      They just post articles from the Daily Mail and Judith Collins.

      --
      New Zealanders are well balanced with a chip on each shoulder. One represents Australia, the other the rest of the world
    12. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "The problem with introducing species is that they don't usually balance the same way they did in their native environments"
      A lesson Australia learned the hard way. More than once.

    13. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      The problem with introducing species is that they don't usually balance the same way they did in their native environments.

      Oh, they reach the same balance, make no mistake.

      Check back in 8 or 10 million years and see!

    14. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      “I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uhmmm, some people out there in our nation don't have maps and uh, I believe that our, I, education like such as uh, South Africa, and uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uhhh, our education over here in the US should help the US, uh, should help South Africa, it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future, for us.”

    15. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by russotto · · Score: 1

      Naa, it's the new Clinton dime. Anything can reproduce on it.

    16. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Is that why 30% of the victims kill themselves?

    17. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      "I live in NZ"
      Ormaybe the tick has predators/diseases in NZ and none in the US.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    18. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Waccoon · · Score: 3, Informative

      The introduction of rabbits and foxes into Australia is a textbook case of the devastating effects of invasive species. Bonus points for the fact it was done on purpose by hunters, strictly for sport.

    19. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by cstacy · · Score: 1

      Oddly, it also makes you think you live in New Zealand.

      And that cats are not your secret masters.

    20. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

      It was probably intended as a hyperbole laden joke. Another example (and one of my favorites) is, "I was so bad at all sports, I once lost a bye."

      --
      This space unintentionally left blank.
    21. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by johannesg · · Score: 1

      So you are from New Zealand, one of the most paranoid countries in the world when it comes to invasive species. Where having a blade of grass under your shoe when you enter the country is grounds for a heavy fine. Where, you'd think, people at least understand what a non-native invader can do in a new ecosystem where it lacks predators of any kind. That New Zealand?

    22. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by yes-but-no · · Score: 1

      Not if the tick bites you when are you are asleep. You need to be awake and actively scratch it. So it's okay to sleep.

    23. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by gtall · · Score: 1

      Yah, I read an article on this on either NYT or WashPost. I didn't bother reading this article because the blurb above took too many facts out of context and inflated them.

    24. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by gtall · · Score: 1

      Yeah, well in the U.S. we have Attack Rabbits, just ask Jimmy Carter.

    25. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      You talk too much, human. Go and clean my kitty litter!

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    26. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 2

      Actually, for a textbook case of invasive species, take a look at H. Sapiens - No balance forthcoming and mass extinction projected at 98%+.

    27. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 1

      I live in Australia. We have cane toads, rabbits etc which cause huge amounts of damage

      Australians were originally a small prison colony (invasive species). Now their population is out of control and not at all in balance with indigenous species..Just saying...

    28. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      Well I live in New Zealand, one of those countries which has this tick...

      ... and not this click-bait sensationalist crap?

      If the tick is so harmless, why are so many educated people fleeing New Zealand to move to Australia every year? The doom-tick is causing people to flee in panic, you just lack the necessary fight-or-flight mechanism.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    29. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by SCVonSteroids · · Score: 1

      Where can I find one of these ticks? New Zealand is fucking beautiful.

      --
      I tend to rant.
    30. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by guruevi · · Score: 1

      I agree with the fact that it's sensationalism but if they're native to a place, they tend to have predators. You're close enough to Australia to know what invasive species can do without effective predation or natural controls.

      The best thing though since they're "cloning" themselves, is that the variation in the species will be low and you can target genes relatively easy in order to kill them.

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    31. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by quenda · · Score: 1

      Actually, for a textbook case of invasive species, take a look at H. Sapiens - No balance forthcoming and mass extinction projected at 98%+.

      Ironically, H Sapiens is heading for population balance or decline just about everywhere it is "invasive", but exploding in it's native sub-Saharan Africa.

    32. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Wulf2k · · Score: 1

      "No balance forthcoming, except for this projected balance"

    33. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Sperbels · · Score: 2

      The Old Forest, just outside the Shire.

    34. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by DRJlaw · · Score: 1

      How do I know?

      Well I live in New Zealand, one of those countries which has this tick -- in fact we only have two tick species here and this is one of them.

      Neither our cattle, sheep nor people have been brought to their knees by this pest and the countryside isn't over-run with a red tide of invading creatures.

      Quick, call the Government of Western Australia and inform them how "heavy infestations can [not] cause severe anaemia, decreased growth rates and rarely, deaths in younger cattle," because they apparently failed to receive your Hobbit memos.

    35. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by DRJlaw · · Score: 1

      How do I know?

      Well I live in New Zealand, one of those countries which has this tick -- in fact we only have two tick species here and this is one of them.

      Neither our cattle, sheep nor people have been brought to their knees by this pest and the countryside isn't over-run with a red tide of invading creatures.

      Your own veterinarians appear to disagree with you on this point: "Nymph (larval) ticks can be a major problem on newborn fawns, and young grazing lambs prior to weaning causing anaemia with deaths from blood loss in severe cases."

    36. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by barc0001 · · Score: 2

      So as a New Zealander, you should be well aware of how devastating an invasive species is to an ecosystem that has not evolved to keep it in check. Why else would your country embark on a massive invasive species eradication program:

      https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/07/new-zealand-invasives-islands-rats-kiwis-conservation/

      We in North America are all too well acquainted with invasive species and the havoc they wreak on an ecosystem with few natural inhibitors, from asian pine beetles destroying swaths of forestry on the west coast to the zebra mussels monopolizing the Great Lakes.

      Don't be so damn flippant. This can be a real problem.

    37. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by jrumney · · Score: 1

      You're like an inverse Turing test; there would be no way to distinguish you from a 1970s AI program.

      Is it because I hurt your feelings that you say you from a 1970s AI program?

    38. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Opyros · · Score: 2

      Well, now, there were human beings living there for tens of thousands of years before that colony.

    39. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      Right, right, he was saying he didn't comprehend the difference between a coast that is on the east side of a land mass, and an east coast in the context of continental climates.

      I know having the same word being used in two different contexts is too complicated for a lot of you, but don't think I'm going to dumb down my comments or stop making a serious point. If you want a kindergarten-level explanation for everything I say, you'll simply be wanting.

    40. Re:Goodbye Arstechnica by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      Losing a bye happens in chess all the time. But you still get the point.

    41. Re: Goodbye Arstechnica by jrumney · · Score: 1

      You do realise that "east coast" as a continental climate is not a thing right? South America and Africa have a completely different climate on their east coasts than North America and Asia.

  2. There is a northern version of these by hyades1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    US Invaded By Savage Tick That Sucks Animals Dry, Spawns Without Mating

    Up here in Canada, we call these creatures "Tories".

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    1. Re:There is a northern version of these by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      A craft brewer with an ironclad reputation for quality weighed in on this. In order to sell his beer for a buck under the conditions laid out by Ford, he'd have to supply it for 16 cents a can. He says he can do it, but the beer would be watered down, tasteless swill.

      So he won't.

      On the other hand, if you want to drink American beer, just go down there and do it. Cheap beer in the US is exactly like this drek will be: rancid cat piss.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  3. up to 30% of the victims? by Chikungunya · · Score: 1

    sure, as long as you ignore the vast mayority of the people that get infected with SFTSV and never get more than a slight fever for some days.

  4. Hardly surprising by sjames · · Score: 4, Funny

    It is an election year after all.

    1. Re:Hardly surprising by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Usually in an election year the blood sucking parasites try to downplay their activity, though.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  5. Re: For a minute there by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Apparently the brain slug died of starvation. Tsk. Tsk. Poor thing.

  6. Exsanguination,eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    So, Jewish and Islamic ticks. Sounds about right.

  7. And so? by arth1 · · Score: 1

    The tick, the Asian longhorned tick (or Haemaphysalis longicornis), has the potential to transmit an assortment of nasty diseases to humans, including an emerging virus that kills up to 30 percent of victims. So far, the tick hasn't been found carrying any diseases in the U.S.

    And there's this other species[*] that has the potential to transmit an assortment of nasty diseases to humans, including an emerging virus that kills up to 80 percent of victims.

    [*]: Homo Sapiens Sapiens

    1. Re:And so? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      I know. And yet, for some odd reason it's still illegal to hunt them down for fun, profit and food.

      Effin' liberals and their bleeding heart politics.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:And so? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      I know. And yet, for some odd reason it's still illegal to hunt them down for fun, profit and food.

      Effin' liberals and their bleeding heart politics.

      How many ticks would it take to fill the belly of an average Appalachian man of the woods?

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    3. Re:And so? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      Ooops- I should pay more attention- you're talking about man.

      One man should last several meals assuming you prepare the meat correctly.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    4. Re:And so? by TheCastro1689 · · Score: 1

      I just take the thigh and ass meat, the rest isn't worth the time to harvest.

  8. Ivermectin by warewolfsmith · · Score: 1
    Living in the Northern Territory of Oz I have found Ivermectin to be extremely effective in preventing ticks on my dog.

    Careful with the dosage though, to much can poison the dog.

    1. Re:Ivermectin by arth1 · · Score: 2

      To quote the same Wikipedia article you linked to - emphasis mine:

      In veterinary medicine ivermectin is used against many intestinal worms (but not tapeworms), most mites, and some lice. It is not effective for eliminating ticks, flies, flukes, or fleas.

      Spinosad based pills like Comfortis work great, though.

  9. Re:One male to four hundred females? by arth1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    That is one very, VERY happy tick!

    You have not lived in a house with four females.

    Just saying...

  10. Re:For a minute there by Aighearach · · Score: 2

    That reminds me!

    I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords!!!

  11. Re:I call it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Your ex wife gave many of us crabs. Get tested.

  12. Reproduces without mating? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    What could possibly go wrong in the long run with such genetic uniformity?

    1. Re:Reproduces without mating? by arth1 · · Score: 3, Informative

      What could possibly go wrong in the long run with such genetic uniformity?

      Given all the species that do asexual reproduction, not much.

      And not just bacteria and plants either. Bdelloid rotifers were sexual at one time, but got rid of their males, and now they're all female and adapting well enough with parthenogenetic asexual reproduction.

    2. Re:Reproduces without mating? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's the damnedest thing too, we're starting to see signs of this in the human population as well. My wife just spontaneously got pregnant a few weeks back, and I know it wasn't me because I was out of town. Incredible stuff.

    3. Re:Reproduces without mating? by arth1 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It's the damnedest thing too, we're starting to see signs of this in the human population as well. My wife just spontaneously got pregnant a few weeks back, and I know it wasn't me because I was out of town. Incredible stuff.

      It's been going on for a while. It was described happening in Palestine two thousand years ago. The resulting specimen didn't reproduce, though, and died at a relatively young age, so there may be some complications.

    4. Re:Reproduces without mating? by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 1

      What could possibly go wrong in the long run with such genetic uniformity?

      You could ask the dandelions in my yard if they think that any genetic issues are holding them back.

    5. Re:Reproduces without mating? by gtall · · Score: 1

      Nah, that's not what happened. There was this carpenter guy who somehow hooked up with a tasty female. Being scared of marriage the dowry it would entail, he kept the relationship going in the hopes of getting break down the line. Then she became preggers. What to do, what to do? The penalties at that time for this sort of behavior were severe. So he thinks hard and in a blinding flash of insight, the story line became, "It's a (*^*&^%$ miracle!!".

      Politicians have been spinning variations on this ever since.

    6. Re:Reproduces without mating? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 2

      You could ask the dandelions in my yard if they think that any genetic issues are holding them back.

      Dandelions (like this tick) do both. They can reproduce sexually or asexually- usually they do it asexually, but occasionally they don't; thus they are not ALL clones of each other- even if many are indeed clones. This means even if a virus wipes out a large number of them- the fact that genetic differences do exist out there, there might be some in the species that can resist the virus.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  13. CHINA. SAY IT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    "Eastern Asia", WTF. You mean CHINA? Why is Ars afraid to say CHINA?

  14. Re:For a minute there by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Whoever modded you up should be killed.

    Ticks aren't insects you asshole. (My entomology class in college was taught by an acarologist--- TICKS ARE NOT INSECTS!)

  15. Re:For a minute there by arth1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ticks are arachnida, not insects.

    This is slashdot, of course the details matter more than the joke.

  16. amazing by WindBourne · · Score: 1

    how many nasty nasty animals, bugs, etc are coming from China to the west esp. America. Snakehead.
    Lion Fish.
    etc. etc. etc.

    I would suspect that China is also suffering. Like Brazil and other rain forest, they have some unique fauna and animals (which is also why they invade elsewhere).

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    1. Re:amazing by arth1 · · Score: 1

      I would suspect that China is also suffering.

      Quite a bit actually. Invasive species from the US is probably a bigger problem in China than invasive species from China is in the US. Pine wood nematodes devastate pine forests and smooth cord grass smothers mangroves, for example - both originating in North America.

    2. Re:amazing by gtall · · Score: 1

      Ah, this is just China's payback for Kissinger. And now it will continue until the Chinese Communist Party gets to claim Taiwan so they can do to it what they are doing to Tibet. Free Chinese are anathema to the CP.

    3. Re: amazing by WindBourne · · Score: 1

      ??? Why do u think Kissinger screwed over China?

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  17. Re:One male to four hundred females? by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

    That could be a death sentence...

    --
    Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  18. Re:CHINA. SAY IT! by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

    Because China would be the Orient. Eastern Asia would be Bangladesh and Burma. Please see the British for the proper definition of Asian and Oriental...

    --
    Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  19. Ars Technica article photo by normandr · · Score: 1

    suggests that they live and reproduce on US dimes.

  20. Re:For a minute there by msnash · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Nice try, Vlad.

  21. Tick bait sensationalist crap... by bdwoolman · · Score: 1

    FTFY

    --
    "No fear. No envy. No meanness." Liam Clancy
  22. Re:One male to four hundred females? by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    I'm not sure. I picture a long line of ticks saying "rub my feet next", "no mine, he already did yours", "not all eight of them!"

  23. Re: CHINA. SAY IT! by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

    I live at the magnetic North Pole you insensitive clod!

    --
    Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  24. Re:Goodbye Idiots by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

    Especially when it comes from someone posting anonymously.

    --
    Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
  25. I looked this up on Wikipedia.org by VeryFluffyBunny · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here's what I found:

    The longhorned tick can transmit an animal disease called theileriosis to cattle, which can cause considerable blood loss and occasional death of calves, but mainly is important to dairy farmers because of decreased milk production and sheep farmers because of decreased wool quantity and quality.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    So the tick doesn't suck animals dry. It's a vector for a disease, theileriosis, which only affects cattle and, if left untreated, kills the host. Blood loss through the nose and bowels are two of the symptoms but infected cattle don't die from blood loss (exsanguination).

    The longhorned tick is sometimes also a vector for other common tick-borne diseases.

    This is a non-story for anyone except researchers and maybe farmers if the ticks start spreading theileriosis. There are other species of tick in Asia, Europe, and north Africa which are more common vectors for theileriosis.

    Ars Technica have published a misleading and factually incorrect article which is apparently intended to cause fear and anxiety among millions of people. They have displayed all the journalistic integrity of Facebook.

    --
    Debate is a form of harassment. Do not question my truth.
  26. And the tick species full name is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    RepublicanDomesticus

  27. No. by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

    From TFS, these are the velociraptors of ticks. They know no fear and are always hungry. They have no concerns but devouring their prey.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.
  28. Re:For a minute there by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

    Can we mod this one funny? It made me laugh more than the original.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.
  29. Re: One male to four hundred females? by CaffeinatedBacon · · Score: 1

    Until he realizes the females can reproduce asexually and don't really need him.

  30. Reproduces without mating by blind+biker · · Score: 1

    means, we're fucked.

    --
    "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
    1. Re:Reproduces without mating by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      We have to find out how they do it. For ... scientific reasons, of course.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  31. Re:For a minute there by blind+biker · · Score: 1

    Well, the joke was overplayed and therefore missed the mark.

    --
    "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
  32. Re:For a minute there by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    Whatever. They die to the same kind of spray.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  33. Re:One male to four hundred females? by Charlotte · · Score: 1

    You have not lived in a house with four females.
    Were you mating with all four?

  34. Well... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    This sucks.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  35. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  36. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  37. Luckily Linux is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    A tickless kernel

  38. Re: One male to four hundred females? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Reminds me of the Netflix movie "No Men Beyond this Point".

  39. Cypermethrin / Permethrins by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    If you frequently find yourself in the habitat of these little buggers, there are things you can certainly do to protect yourself, your family, and your pets.

    Dogs can take Afoxolaner pills (NexGard, etc..) for monthly flea/tick prevention.

    People can spray their clothing with Permethrin treatments to kill insects that get on them.

    You can spray areas around your home with Cypermethrin (a longer lasting type of permethrin) every couple of weeks to prevent these things from crawling up into your home.

    These will all work pretty well for the time being, until the insects become resistant to them.

  40. Re:For a minute there by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    Whoever modded you up should be killed.

    Interesting suggested use of the death penalty. Are you from Texas?

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  41. Re: One male to four hundred females? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    Until he realizes the females can reproduce asexually and don't really need him.

    Assuming sex of the tick is determined genetically (and not by environmental factors like with some reptiles). The fact that males do indeed exist means that they can still reproduce sexually. If all reproduction was asexual then all ticks would be female.

    It would be a deleterious to the species to waste offspring on producing males if the males did not mate- they would all be genetic dead ends.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  42. Re:That's Just LGBT Stuff by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    If it breeds without mating, asexually, then humans can too and we no longer need families.

    It's been possible for a long time for humans to not technically "mate" and still have offspring. (not really asexual, although we could probably do that too- but don't for ethics reasons). If a parent has a child- then guess what; that's a family. It is still a family even if it is two Mom's and no dads... or three moms... or four moms... or I don't know a mass lesbian orgy every night...

    Sorry, I got distracted there... point being, you say that sex makes a family- I disagree, I think it's the people.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  43. Re:One male to four hundred females? by SCVonSteroids · · Score: 1

    If you read the fine print, he doesn't get to fuck any of them.

    --
    I tend to rant.
  44. Biohack by Baby+Duck · · Score: 1

    Counterattack with an army of tick-eating possums.

    --

    "Love heals scars love left." -- Henry Rollins

  45. Horror movie plot in there somewhere by ripvlan · · Score: 1

    The OP writeup sounds like a horror movie script. Bugs that suck the life from people, invading "ticks" (our collective favorite scary bug), marching on us, invaders from space.

    Yes - if I were to think of an AI nano-bot script, I'd make it even scarier by replacing them with REAL bugs that collectively work together. The Blob has nothing on this. Oooh -- Chuckie could lead them.

    And in a turn of events the Chainsaw dude could come and save us all.

  46. without mating - easier to eradicate by AlwinBarni · · Score: 1

    If this tick spawns without mating it should be easier to eradicate - mostly the same genotypes. The only factor would be natural mutation, which is not so fast as for bacteria.

  47. ...That Headline Though! by TheStickBoy · · Score: 1

    click here
    must see
    you wont believe
    buy buy buy!

  48. Re:One male to four hundred females? by cellocgw · · Score: 1

    You have not lived in a house with four females.

    Were you mating with all four?

    He's from West Virginia and they are his wife, mother-in-law, and two daughters.

    --
    https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
  49. Re:For a minute there by el_smurfo · · Score: 1

    If it was about Trump, the tick would be called TinyHorned.

  50. tic toc by thexfile · · Score: 1

    Tariff Tic

  51. Trump genes by dddux · · Score: 1

    They used Trump genes and blended them with a tick genes, not a bad combination.

    --
    "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Jiddu Krishnamurti