CLEVELAND — Tick season is in full bloom.

What You Need To Know

  • A mild winter brought ticks out early

  • Ticks can be smaller than a freckle and difficult to spot

  • Wearing light-colored clothing and tucking pants into socks can prevent getting ticks embedded 

“We’re a little past the hump. Usually (it’s) much worse in the spring. They normally start in April. They came out late March,” said Rebecca Jones, interpretive park ranger for the National Park Service.

She said although ticks can be tiny, if you get one embedded in your skin, they can leave a red bullseye ring.

Ticks can be smaller than a freckle and often can’t be felt.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, cases of Lyme disease are increasing in Ohio, but it is curable.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection and can be treated with antibiotics according to Dr. Prakash Ganesh, physician at Neighborhood Family Practice.

He said there’s not necessarily a need to rush to an urgent care if you find one on your skin.

The tick takes about 24 hours to transmit the bacteria. Some of the symptoms can include a rash, fever, chills, join and muscle pain and fatigue.

Ganesh said it’s important to check yourself thoroughly after a hike. He advises removing all clothing and check in the mirror, including on your back, the backs of knees and behind the ears.

If you do find a tick, remove the entire tick if you find one embedded in your skin

But the best way to deal with ticks is prevention.

“Shove your pants into your socks,” said Jones. This will prevent them from traveling up your legs and can be removed from pants instead.

Wearing light-colored clothing can help make them more visible. Use insect repellant on your clothes, but Jones said more important than that is not letting the fear of ticks stand in your way of enjoying nature.

“Enjoy the outdoors. A little fear shouldn’t keep us out,” Jones said.