According to a tick expert with the Ohio State Extension office, ticks and the diseases they carry are on the rise in Ohio and will likely continue to increase.

The reason? Climate change and tick-host range expansion. Ticks are thriving in warmer and wetter weather.

"We have tick's natural ability to adapt to new situations. Ticks can adapt very rapidly to exist in a place where they otherwise were not prior. In the last 20 years we've gone from one tick of medical importance to human, companion animals and livestock and now we have five," said Tim McDermott, an educator with OSU Extension.

Dog ticks have always been around and are relatively harmless but the deer tick or blacklegged tick is the one that carries Lyme Disease.
If you're bitten by the Lone Star tick, you can become allergic to red meat.

If you are going anywhere outside where there are trees or tall grass, there are some things you should do to make sure those things don't get stuck on you.

"Make sure you socks are over your pants. Basically take away any entrance to your skin that the tick can find. Tuck your shirt into your pants. Make sure all openings are closed. Wear long sleeve shirts especially if you are going to be in the woods," said Haley Shoemaker, OSU Extension, Canfield.

You can check the Ohio State Extension website for tick identification and the proper way to remove one from your skin.