“Ticks carry organisms that cause illnesses such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, tularemia, viral encephalitis, and hemorrhagic fevers,” says dermatologist and co-host of the television show The Doctors, Sonia Batra, MD.

“Several reasons for this are newly discovered disease-causing germs in ticks, increased numbers of illnesses caused by tick bites, expanded geographic areas where ticks are found, and even new species of ticks found in the US,” she explains.

Here’s what to know about where you’re likely to encounter ticks, the best ways to protect yourself from a tick bite, what a tick bite looks like, and what to do if you suspect you’ve been bitten.

Don’t just check for tick bites.

This image from Instagram user @deer_stalker_uk shows a tick bite where the tick is still on the skin—this is how small some ticks can be.

This image from @lymenow, a community group for those who have experienced Lyme Disease, shows the bullseye rash:.

But it can’t always tell the whole story, so it’s important to try to identify the type of tick since they can carry different types of infections.

“This species carries Lyme disease as well as other illnesses, where the female tick has an orange body and black oval on its back towards the head,” she says.

The rash caused by this type of tick usually starts red and gradually expands to create a central paleness in color.

“Identifying this type of tick and bite is important, as Lyme disease can cause long term neurologic and joint problems,” she says.

“These gray or brown ticks carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia, and when attached, they often look like oblong small balls or marbles with attached legs,” she says

For more help identifying the type of tick, check out the extensive tick identification information at The University of Rhode Island’s TickEncounter site