NEBRASKA — Tick season is underway in Nebraska and experts warn this year could see a higher number of the creatures than normal.

Three types of ticks are normally seen in Nebraska: the American Dog, Blacklegged, and Lone Star.

“People are thinking they only have to go to the woods or only have to go to parks but it can really be in our own backyard," Assistant Extension Entomologist at UNL Jody Green said.

Ticks generally prefer drier, warmer habitats and that has caused an increase in human-tick interactions.

“Having nicer weather, more people are out, more people are taking their pets out," Green said. "That interaction for ticks to find hosts is going to increase.”

This year, a tick new to Nebraska has invaded the state.

Gulf Coast ticks normally sticks to the southeastern part of the country, ranging from Texas up into Maryland.

This year the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services reported the arachnid in York, Saunders, Lancaster, and Douglas Counties.

While the only one to carry Lyme disease is the Blacklegged, other disease transmitted include ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and tularemia.

A full map of ticks and where they are distributed in Nebraska can be found on the DHHS’s website.

Green recommends parents check their kids after they come back from the outdoors and keep pets up to date with flea and tick treatments.