Tick Boot Camp Brings Researchers and Filmmakers Together on Long Island

A day of tick dragging across northern Suffolk County revealed how quickly people and animals can encounter ticks in ordinary Long Island environments. The team found hundreds of nearly invisible larvae, multiple clusters commonly called “tick bombs,” blacklegged ticks, lone star ticks, and an invasive Asian longhorned tick at a working farm.

Tick Boot Camp Co-Founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen coordinated the field research, educational video production, documentary filming, and in-person podcast interviews from Tick Boot Camp’s home base in Rocky Point, New York.

They were joined by Researcher Monica Cipriani, a public health scientist and tick-borne disease researcher completing her doctorate; her husband, Dr. Andre Ene, an anatomic pathologist with Northwell Health Physician Partners; Emmy Award-winning documentary director and cinematographer Reece Robinson; documentary audio professional Dom Aprile; and Tick Boot Camp videographer Robert Frampton.

The group visited Malik Farms in Coram, the grassy edges of the Rails to Trails path in Rocky Point, and Rich’s yard and an adjacent groundwater recharge basin. Robinson documented portions of the day for Ticking Point, his upcoming feature documentary about ticks and alpha-gal syndrome.

The most unexpected finding came at Malik Farms, where Researcher Cipriani identified an Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis. This invasive species is a serious livestock concern because it can reproduce without mating, establish large populations, cause severe blood loss, and transmit bovine theileriosis.

Coordinating researchers and two production teams allowed the same field work to support local surveillance, public education, patient advocacy, and documentary storytelling.

The videos and photographs captured the collection process as it happened, giving the public a close look at ticks found around farms, trails, homes, and unmanaged vegetation.

What Is Tick Dragging?

Tick dragging is a field surveillance method used to collect ticks from vegetation. Researchers slowly pull light-colored fabric across grass, brush, leaf litter, or wooded edges. Questing ticks grab the material much as they would attach to clothing or fur.

Before collecting specimens, Researcher Cipriani explained how dragging can help identify the tick species present in a particular environment. Collected ticks may then be preserved for closer identification or laboratory analysis.

Researcher Cipriani and Dr. Ene used corduroy because its textured surface gives ticks something to grasp. After each pass, they inspected the fabric and collected specimens with fine-tipped tweezers or a lint roller.

A lint roller can help remove large numbers of unattached larvae from clothing or equipment. An attached tick, however, should be grasped close to the skin with fine-tipped tweezers and pulled upward using steady, even pressure.

The tiny dots on the roller show how easily larvae can be mistaken for dirt or plant material. Specimens were placed in 70% isopropyl alcohol for preservation and closer examination. Appearance can help determine species, but only laboratory testing can determine whether a tick carries a pathogen.

Hundreds of Larval Ticks Collected in Seconds

The number of ticks collected in brief drags was striking. Dr. Ene counted 16 larvae after one pass lasting approximately 10 seconds, while another short drag at Malik Farms collected hundreds. To the unaided eye, many looked like pepper suspended in alcohol.

The video captures the scale of the field work and the moment Researcher Cipriani became covered with larvae after crossing a concentrated cluster during the first few minutes at the farm.

These clusters are commonly called “tick bombs.” A female deposits many eggs in one area, and the larvae hatch together. A person or animal passing through that small patch can pick up dozens or hundreds at once. The team also encountered four apparent larval clusters during an early drag near Rich’s Rocky Point property.

The findings show that exposure does not always depend on spending hours outdoors. Walking through one heavily populated patch of grass or brush may be enough to encounter many ticks.

Rotating the container separated the specimens and made their number easier to see. The samples also included different life stages, including a larger nymph among much smaller larvae.

The size difference reinforces why tick checks require bright lighting and close inspection. Larvae and nymphs can be difficult to recognize even when someone knows to look for them.

Tick Species Found During the Long Island Field Work

The team identified lone star ticks, blacklegged ticks, commonly called deer ticks, and an invasive Asian longhorned tick. Each species has a different life cycle and presents different potential concerns.

Lone Star Ticks, Late-Summer Activity, and Alpha-Gal Syndrome

Lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum, were especially abundant during the late-August drags. Researcher Cipriani explained that late summer is a period when lone star tick larvae can be especially numerous because egg masses laid earlier in the season are hatching. Encountering clusters of larvae at this time of year is therefore not unusual.

The hot, humid, brushy, and shaded environments sampled that day also favored lone star larvae. Their prominence in these collections does not prove that lone star ticks have overtaken blacklegged ticks across Long Island. Tick activity changes with species, life stage, season, temperature, moisture, habitat, time of day, and collection method.

Researcher Cipriani explained that returning during another month could produce a different mix of species and life stages. Blacklegged ticks often favor moist leaf litter and may be more visible at other points in their seasonal cycle. The findings reflect specific places and times, not a comprehensive estimate of every tick population on Long Island.

Lone star tick bites are strongly associated with alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to a sugar found in most non-primate mammals. Reactions vary and may be triggered by mammalian meat or other mammal-derived products. Symptoms can include hives, swelling, gastrointestinal distress, breathing difficulty, or anaphylaxis.

Researchers are still studying why some people develop alpha-gal syndrome following a tick bite and others do not.

Because the larvae were so small, Matt asked how researchers distinguish lone star larvae from blacklegged tick larvae.

Researchers examine features such as color, shape, translucency, and anatomy. Researcher Cipriani noted that blacklegged larvae tend to have a more translucent gray or clear lower body, while the collected lone star larvae appeared solid, amber-colored, and rounded. Visual identification does not determine whether an individual tick carries a pathogen.

Blacklegged Ticks and Lyme Disease

The team also found blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, including a nymph near Rich’s home. This species can transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease as well as other pathogens.

Nymphs are a significant concern because they have taken a previous blood meal and may have acquired pathogens, yet they remain about the size of a poppy seed and can stay attached unnoticed.

Researcher Cipriani displayed the nymph on her hand to show how easily it could be missed during a tick check.

Finding both species underscores why Long Islanders should be aware of health risks beyond Lyme disease alone.

Invasive Asian Longhorned Tick Found at Malik Farms

Researcher Cipriani identified an Asian longhorned tick from Malik Farms after examining the specimen under magnification. Native to East Asia, the species was first confirmed in the United States on a sheep in New Jersey in 2017, although evidence suggests it may have arrived earlier. It has since been documented in New York and other eastern states.

Asian longhorned ticks favor pastures and meadows and can feed on cattle, sheep, goats, horses, wildlife, pets, and occasionally people.

The farm setting makes the discovery especially relevant to livestock owners in the surrounding area.

Rapid Reproduction and Severe Blood Loss

Asian longhorned ticks can reproduce through parthenogenesis, meaning a female can produce viable eggs without mating. A single female can lay approximately 2,000 eggs, allowing a population to become established from one introduced tick.

Hundreds or thousands may feed on one animal, causing anemia, weakness, reduced growth, lower milk production, and, in extreme cases, death. Because wildlife, pets, livestock, equipment, and people may move ticks between suitable habitats, the Coram finding supports increased vigilance and additional surveillance near agricultural properties.

Bovine Theileriosis

The Asian longhorned tick is the primary tick vector of Theileria orientalis Ikeda, a parasite that attacks cattle’s red blood cells and causes bovine theileriosis. Signs may include anemia, weakness, fever, pale or yellow mucous membranes, breathing difficulty, reduced milk production, pregnancy loss, or death. Surviving cattle can remain carriers.

The United States Department of Agriculture reports that no treatment is currently approved for bovine theileriosis in the United States. Livestock owners who observe unusual ticks, heavy infestations, weakness, anemia, or reduced production should contact a veterinarian and appropriate animal-health authorities.

Learn more from Cornell Integrated Pest Management’s Asian longhorned tick resource and the USDA bovine theileriosis information sheet.

Tick Exposure Across Three Long Island Environments

The field work moved from a working farm to a public recreational path and then to a residential property. Together, the three locations showed that tick exposure is not limited to remote woods.

Malik Farms in Coram

Malik Farms owner James “Jim” Malik told Matt that checking for ticks has become part of his routine and estimated that he had removed approximately 20 during the season. He was familiar with Lyme disease through a friend but knew little about alpha-gal syndrome.

His experience illustrates the repeated exposure agricultural workers may face in grass, brush, pasture edges, and animal areas. It also shows why education must address both tick-borne infections and the potential for tick bites to trigger alpha-gal syndrome.

Rails to Trails in Rocky Point

At the Rails to Trails path, Dr. Ene dragged the grassy vegetation along the edge. Although the route is paved, walkers, runners, cyclists, and pets may brush against nearby tick habitat without entering the woods.

Staying near the center of a maintained path reduces exposure, but people may still step into grass, stop near overgrowth, or walk a pet along the edge. Two residents the team met described severe local tick encounters, including one episode involving hundreds of tiny ticks after gathering firewood in nearby Wading River. The account does not establish the species involved or whether a pathogen was transmitted, but it shows how easily larval clusters may be encountered.

A Rocky Point Home and Recharge Basin

The final location included Rich’s yard and adjacent property containing a groundwater recharge basin. These engineered areas capture stormwater and allow it to filter into the aquifer, but their grass, brush, shaded edges, and wildlife pathways may also support ticks and their hosts.

During an early drag near the property, the team encountered four concentrated larval clusters. They also collected lone star ticks and a blacklegged tick nymph, demonstrating that meaningful exposure can occur close to home.

From Field Research to Public Education

In addition to collecting ticks, the coordinated day produced educational videos, documentary footage, and long-form podcast interviews designed to bring the findings to a wider audience.

Watch the Long Island Tick-Dragging Videos

The videos embedded throughout this article are only a selection of the educational content recorded during the field work. Watch the complete YouTube playlist, “Tick Dragging on Long Island: Lyme Disease, Alpha-Gal & Tick Research”, for more on tick bombs, species identification, alpha-gal syndrome, Lyme disease risk, seasonal activity, and the ticks collected at all three locations.

Filming Ticking Point

Reece Robinson joined the field day as part of production for Ticking Point, a feature documentary examining lone star ticks, alpha-gal syndrome, patient experiences, and the need for greater public and medical awareness.

Robinson has spent much of his life on Martha’s Vineyard and has watched the tick crisis affect his family and community. His previous work includes National Geographic’s The First Wave, human-rights reporting in Nepal, and the endurance documentaries The Run Across America and Ride to Endure.

Robinson filmed alongside the researchers while Dom Aprile recorded documentary audio and Robert Frampton captured Tick Boot Camp’s educational footage.

Podcast Interviews at Tick Boot Camp’s Rocky Point Studio

After the field work, the group returned to Tick Boot Camp’s in-person studio in Rocky Point. Matt and Rich interviewed Researcher Monica Cipriani, Dr. Andre Ene, and Reece Robinson about the findings, ongoing research, Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome, and Ticking Point.

The in-depth interviews will be released in the near future on the official Tick Boot Camp Podcast.

How Long Island Residents Can Reduce Tick-Bite Risk

• Use an EPA-registered tick repellent according to its label.
• Treat clothing and outdoor gear with 0.5% permethrin or purchase pretreated clothing.
• Stay near the center of maintained paths and avoid brushing against vegetation.
• Check yourself, children, pets, clothing, and equipment after outdoor activity.
• Inspect concealed areas, including behind the knees, around the waist and ears, under the arms, and along the scalp.
• Shower after returning indoors and dry suitable clothing on high heat.
• Remove an attached tick with fine-tipped tweezers using steady, upward pressure.
• Save the tick if identification or testing may be needed, and contact a qualified healthcare professional if symptoms develop.

For step-by-step guidance, visit the Tick Boot Camp Tick Bite Blueprint. Learn more about the timing and limitations of Lyme disease testing.

Additional Precautions for Farmers and Livestock Owners

• Inspect livestock regularly, especially the ears, tail area, hind legs, and skin folds.
• Look for clusters or heavy infestations, not only isolated ticks.
• Watch for weakness, pale or yellow mucous membranes, breathing difficulty, reduced appetite, or lower milk production.
• Manage grass, weeds, and brush around grazing and feeding areas where practical.
• Consult a veterinarian before using livestock tick-control products.
• Examine new animals before introducing them to a herd and avoid sharing needles or instruments between animals.
• Report unusual ticks, suspected theileriosis, or unexplained livestock losses promptly.

Turning Field Research Into Public Awareness

In one coordinated day, the team documented tick bombs, hundreds of larvae, lone star ticks, a blacklegged tick nymph, and an invasive Asian longhorned tick. The findings make one lesson clear: tick exposure can happen quickly in the places where Long Islanders live, work, exercise, and raise animals.

By bringing researchers, filmmakers, property owners, and educators together, Tick Boot Camp transformed the field work into practical information the public can use. Prevention, continued research, and greater awareness of Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome, and emerging tick threats remain essential.

Watch every field-day video in the “Tick Dragging on Long Island: Lyme Disease, Alpha-Gal & Tick Research” playlist. Explore more conversations with tick-borne disease researchers, listen to the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, or visit the Tick Boot Camp education and advocacy blog.