With nicer weather, more people are likely to spend time in nature — which could mean being bitten by a tick.

There are some simple preventative steps to take, like wearing bug repellent; tucking your pants into your socks; and doing a tick check as soon as you get home.

“If you’re outside enjoying the outdoors in New York, you need to be aware that there's ticks and they're becoming more and more common,” said Brian Leydet, associate professor of epidemiology and disease ecology at SUNY ESF.

Ticks are often seen as an enemy, and it's no surprise why.

“I don’t think there's a positive benefit for them generally in nature. That's why we're so interested in their negative consequences to humans and other things,” said Leydet.

New York state parks warn visitors of ticks with signs, and they maintain their trails.

“But certainly we mow back vegetation from the edges of our trails so that if you're out for a walk, you're not going to encounter the vegetation where likely the ticks are going to be,” said Tom Hughes, an environmental stewardship biologist with Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation.

Leydet says ticks are increasing overall, but it’s hard to say if there’s any more or fewer ticks this year than last year.

“Ticks can differ in your backyard compared to your neighbor's backyard. So, I don't often like to say they're worse or better. They're there; we need to be aware, and they're only increasing in numbers, and they're also increasing in the pathogens that they carry,” said Leydet.

He explains one of the reasons for more ticks is that the conditions are right.

“Ticks need certain weather patterns to get from the baby stage to the adult stage. I like to compare it to a seed, right?" Leydet said. "You can grow a tomato in upstate New York. You can't grow a banana tree, and that's because our conditions are not right for it. Thirty years ago, the conditions were not right to grow that tick in Central New York."

In the meantime, for people spending time outside wanting to prevent ticks can spray repellent on their skin or clothes. Leydet recommends sprays with at least 20% DEET or picaridin.

“One thing that you want to do is to treat especially your lower extremities, because that's where the tick attaches. Ticks don't climb up very high. They don't climb up into trees. They don't fall. They don't fly. They climb on small pieces of grass or branches,” said Leydet.

More tick tips from Leydet: After spending time outside, hang clothes in the sun or put them in the dryer at home, which can kill any ticks on your clothing. And if bitten by a tick, save the tick for a month after removing it in case you start feeling flu-like symptoms.

Leydet is working with SUNY ESF students researching mice to better understand Lyme disease, since mice are one of the common animals ticks get Lyme from.