WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- Sunday, May 3, marks the start of Tick Awareness week.
According to the CDC, each year almost a half million Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease. It's the most common tick-borne illness.
The 2026 outlook for these disease-carrying insects shows cases of Lyme disease are expected to rise.
In fact, the CDC is reporting the most weekly emergency room visits for tick bites, for this time of year, in at least a decade.
"We see a steady increase from year to year, and we expect it to be the same last year and then this year," said Dr. Nicole Baumgarth, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Experts say you have to weigh the bad with the good and not let the tick risk ruin the positive mental and physical benefits of being outside.
"My recommendation is stay away from any vegetation. Stay on the trails. Don't touch anything in terms of limbs or branches or certainly vegetation where they're waiting to latch on to you," said Garry Harrington Manager, Rum Village Nature Center.
The CDC recommends using permethrane-treated clothing and checking you body for ticks after being outdoors.
If you do spot a tick, remove it immediately.