CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – While we are looking ahead to summer, most of us aren’t looking forward to the pesky little bugs that warmer weather brings.

With this warmer weather, dormant ticks are starting to look for food. No matter what you’re doing outside, it is important to know how to prevent tick bites and what to do after you’ve been bitten.

Warmer weather means more outside activities, like gardening, taking care of your lawn, or taking your dog for a walk. This warmer weather also brings ticks. Dormant ticks are starting to look for food all across the northeast. It is important to know the dangers of ticks so that you can keep you and your family safe.

Some ways that you can prevent ticks from being in your yard is by clearing away brush and maintaining grassy areas in your yard.

“A good way to protect yourself from getting bitten by a tick is wearing long pants, long socks and a long sleeve shirt before heading outdoors.”

There are different types of ticks, and they can all carry different diseases.

Deer Ticks

The blacklegged ticks, or commonly known as deer ticks, are the ones that carry Lyme disease. These ones are usually small and black.

Dog Ticks

The American dog-tick can look much bigger, and can carry other diseases. If you’ve been bitten by a tick, it’s best to remove it as soon as possible and make sure to remove the tick’s head.

“So if you know you’ve been bitten by a tick, watch that site where you’ve been bitten and if a red ring shows up that is a good indicator that you should go get tested or at least seek treatment. A later finding would be joint pain often, that is a major way we tend to catch Lyme disease.”

Now there is not a vaccine on the market currently for Lyme disease, so if you’ve been bit by a tick and you are unsure if it is carrying Lyme, you can keep it in a plastic bag or container and get it tested.

You can also wear a bug repellent that has DEET in it to stay safe.