LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors. And with temperatures rising, it’s tempting to take on outdoor adventures in T-shirts and shorts. But, all that exposed skin leaves you vulnerable to common issues like ticks.

“It’s that time of year where we are seeing an increase in people coming in contact with ticks,” said Dr. Mark Brockman Jr., a pediatrician with Norton Children’s Iroquois. “We are getting calls and patients coming in.”

The best defense against ticks is prevention. Ticks live in grassy or wooded areas. Adults and children should wear long sleeves and long pants during outdoor excursions and need to check their entire bodies, clothing, and gear for ticks after they come back indoors.

The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources has this handy guide for the various tick species in Kentucky.

If you find a tick, remove it as soon as possible. Norton Children’s recommends using fine-tipped tweezers. You are going to want to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull the tick upward in a steady motion, no twisting or jerking movements. You then have to clean the area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Dr. Brockman said if parents feel uncomfortable removing it themselves, they have to head to their pediatricians fast.

“Most of the time if you removed the tick within 24 hours, you’re not going to have any problems,” said Dr. Brockman Jr. “There may be a local reaction to where the tick was. A little redness and a little itching and that’s nothing to be concerned about.”

The problematic symptoms you should look out for are a rash that looks like a bulls-eye, and if you develop things like muscle aches, fevers, and headaches within a week or two of being bitten by a tick you need to see your physician.