Doctors say early spring is the best time to begin thinking about tick prevention and becoming aware of the signs of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illness.

Peak season is June and July. During those months, ticks put people at risk of being infected with bacteria, viruses or parasites. Ways to avoid ticks include spraying repellent on clothes and exposed skin, wearing long sleeves and pants, and tucking your pants into your socks, so ticks can't crawl up pant legs.

Doctors recommend people routinely check themselves and their pets for ticks.

"The tick is embedded, you just want to remove it as quickly as possible," says Dr Bobbi Pritt, a pathologist and clinical microbiologist at the Mayo Clinic.

Pritt says to use fine-tip tweezers to grab the tick, pull it out slowly and avoid squeezing it. She does not recommend using home remedies.

"Like touching it with a match or putting petroleum jelly on it. That might actually increase the risk of infection," says Pritt.

The best way to treat ticks is with antibiotics. The sooner one begins treatment, the better chance they have of fully recovering.

People who have a tick-borne illness say they are debilitating, especially if their infection goes untreated for more than two weeks.

Anyone experiencing flu symptoms and think they might have been bitten by a tick should see a doctor.