You’re not imagining it: Tick season is especially bad this year. According to data collected by The Wall Street Journal, nationwide emergency-room visits for tick bites are the highest since 2019, and in the Northeast, there are up to 40 percent more ticks compared to this time last year.

Thomas Hart, an infectious-disease microbiologist at Johns Hopkins University, told the Journal that warmer winters and rainier springs are driving the increase in these dangerous insects: “The warmer it is, the more ticks are able to survive through the seasons.” Another factor is the overpopulation of deer caused by development in their natural forest habitats.

Of course, this is worrisome since the most common species of ticks in the U.S. can carry Lyme disease, as well as other diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and anaplasmosis. In fact, as Best Life reported in December, data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed that the number of Lyme infections has nearly doubled since 1991, due in part to milder climates making ticks a year-round concern.

However, this doesn’t mean you should avoid going on hikes or spending time outdoors. “A good message is to be prudent and proactive in preventing yourself from getting ticks on you or to remove them quickly,” Shalom Sokolow, MD, an emergency physician at Phelps Hospital in New York, recently told The Guardian. “If you’re doing that, it’s not something necessarily to worry about.”

But no matter how much bug spray you lather on or how protective your clothing is, you’ll never want to skip a thorough body check when you get home. And experts say that there are three surprising body parts you might be missing.

RELATED: 5 Plants That Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard.

Be sure to check these three body parts for ticks.

Think about where you’re likely to feel sticky or get smelly on a hot summer’s day—and then think about what kinds of places ticks like to burrow.

“The best place for ticks is your armpits and groin because they are warm, moist, and a good source of blood,” says pest control expert Jordan Foster. These spots also have thinner skin and are dark and secluded, prime feeding environments for ticks, agrees dermatologist Purvisha Patel, MD, founder of Visha Skincare.

More specifically, the experts at Paul’s Pest Control Melbourne explain that these body parts “have consistently warm temperatures due to the increased blood flow to those general areas,” adding that “an increased blood flow means easier feeding.”

Paul’s experts explain that ticks also detect a host through odor: “The human groin and armpit emit stronger body odor because those areas are located between limbs.”

Body odor is why ticks may also be drawn to your head. “The human hair emits a stronger-than-average odor due to a fatty substance called sebum—the so-called ‘grease’ which helps your skin and hairs maintain their moisture levels,” Paul’s experts share. “Since the head is the hairiest body part—that’s where ticks get when they follow their sense of smell.”

RELATED: Ticks on Dogs: How to Find Them and Safely Remove Them.

How to check for ticks: Shutterstock

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should neglect the rest of your body when checking for ticks. The U.S. Forest Service advises: “Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas.”

This includes the aforementioned body parts, as well as in and around the ears, inside the belly button, between fingers and toes, and behind the knees.

David Claborn, PhD, director of the Master of Public Health program at Missouri State University, says to look for an insect that’s anywhere from the size of a pinhead to bigger than a pencil eraser with eight legs. Ticks vary in color and can be brown, reddish-brown, or black, but turn a dark purple color once they’ve been feeding for a few days.

The Forest Service says you should also take a shower within two hours of being outside (but ideally as soon as possible) in a potentially tick-prone area to “more easily find crawling ticks before they bite you.”

Additionally, follow protocols to check your pets if they were outside with you, and also inspect any clothing or gear you were using. To take extra precaution, they say you can tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks (wet clothing may require additional time).

If you do find a tick on your body, remove it as soon as possible, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Using tweezers, ideally fine-tipped tweezers, “grasp the tick close to the skin’s surface to avoid squeezing the tick’s body,” instructs the CDC. If you don’t have tweezers, it’s still best to remove the insect quickly; in these cases, you can use your fingers.

Then, pull the tick away from the skin “with steady, even pressure,” taking care not to “twist or jerk the tick,” as it can cause the tick’s mouthparts to break off and stay in the skin. “You can also remove the mouthparts with tweezers,” says the CDC. “If you cannot remove the mouthparts easily with tweezers, leave them alone… Your body will naturally push the mouthparts out over time as your skin heals.”

Once the tick is out, clean the bite area and your hands with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or hand sanitizer. Carefully dispose of the tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick.

Of course, always call your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns.

This story has been updated to include additional entries, fact-checking, and copy-editing.

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