MOUNT HOPE, WV (WVNS)– Warmer weather means more fun days outside, but it also means more chances to run into ticks.

Ticks are most active in the warmer months of April through September, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ticks can be found in grassy, brushy or wooded areas–which makes pets vulnerable when they go outside. 

One of the best ways to prevent ticks in your pets is through yearly vaccines or by giving them monthly products.

Veterinary assistant Erynn Kesler warned that Jarrell Animal Clinic is seeing more pets with tick-borne diseases than normal.

“We have seen a significant increase since the beginning of the year,” said Kesler. “Probably one in three dogs that come through here have some type of tick-borne illness.”

Kesler said it is far easier and cheaper to prevent dogs from serious illnesses, heartworms and especially ticks than it is to treat them for it.

Among the vaccines and monthly prevention products, Kesler recommends frequently checking your pet’s fur after going outside, especially in between their toes, on their eyelids, and under their legs and collar.

Kesler added when detaching ticks, make sure to grab the tick’s head for safe removal. Tick-borne illnesses like Lyme Disease can spread to humans, so it is also best to wash your hands and your pet’s affected area after touching and removing ticks.